2 shipping containers, 2 acres + a lot of love create a cool Little River Canyon retreat for these Alabama adventurers

Experienced kayakers, scuba-diving enthusiasts and overall adventure-lovers, Gardendale residents Andy and Helen Shirey are not conventional thinkers, and their dream getaway near one of their favorite places in Alabama is not a conventional build.

Practical, resourceful and mindful of nature, absolutely.

Married in 2019 after meeting through their mutual love for whitewater kayaking, over the past year and a half, the Shireys have been creating a cool little shipping container cabin retreat along Teddy Bear Creek, near Little River Canyon in DeKalb County.

Read on to learn more about why this approach appealed to the Shireys, the progress they’ve made and what they’ve discovered so far.