Our Location
Casa On The Creek (Blackwell Branch Cabin and Gili’s Cove Cottage) is located in the beautiful Tusquittee Valley outside of the town of Hayesville in the far western mountains of North Carolina. All roads to access the properties are paved and well-maintained—no dirt or gravel roads. Both properties are situated on level, easily accessible lots. Gili’s Cove Cottage has a pull-through concrete driveway with a convenient carport. Blackwell Branch Cabin is tucked back among the trees and has a gravel pull-through driveway. As there is little or no public transportation available, a vehicle is essential, whether a rental car or your own vehicle.
Air Travel:
If you plan to travel by air and rent a car, you have your choice of four metropolitan airports, all of which are about a 2 – 2-1/2 hour drive by car:
Asheville, NC
Atlanta, GA
Knoxville, TN
Chattanooga TN
Although schedules can vary widely depending upon your city of origin, you’ll find that Atlanta has the largest selection of non-stop and one-stop flights and may offer some of the best airfare pricing. Many folks choose to fly into Asheville (home of the Biltmore Estate) and add a short visit to that city at the front or back end of their stay at Casa On The Creek.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reservations, Deposits and Cancelations:
I’m ready to book my trip. How do I make a reservation?
Once you’ve chosen which property you would like to reserve and you have checked the availability calendars and determined the dates of your stay, you may contact us directly by sending us a message in the Contact Us pages or by phone, text or email. We may like to know a little bit more about you and your traveling companions to make sure that Casa On The Creek is a good fit for you.
Phone: 786-269-7866 (call or text) Email: casaonthecreek@gmail.com
Communication with the Owners:
We are the owners and hands-on managers of Blackwell Branch Cabin and Gili’s Cove Cottage. You will be dealing exclusively with us – no property managers, rental agencies or online booking sites are involved. We pride ourselves on timely and personal service to each and every one of our guests and pledge to respond to all of your communications with us (phone, text or email) promptly and thoroughly. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time either prior to your visit or during your stay. We are a member of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce and the Clay County Travel and Tourism Board and are active volunteers in supporting travel and tourism to our region.
Is a deposit required?
In order for us to confirm your reservation and block the dates you’ve chosen at either Blackwell Branch Cabin or Gili’s Cove Cottage, a deposit of 50% of the total charges is required. If your arrival date is less than 60 days away, full payment is required at the time of booking. We cannot hold any dates for you until the deposit/payment is received. We will send you an itemized invoice of the charges and indicate both the amount of the deposit required as well as the final payment amount and due date. Final payment is required on or before 60 days prior to your arrival date. Reservations where final payment has not been received 60 days prior to arrival are subject to cancellation. Any reservations made within 60 days of the start of your stay require 100% payment.
Do I need to sign anything?
A signed lease agreement is required for every stay. The lease agreement will be emailed to you through an online signature website which allows you to review the agreement, complete any necessary information, sign online and easily email it back to us. Your reservation is not considered confirmed until we receive BOTH the 50% deposit payment and the signed lease agreement.
Is a security or damage deposit required?
A damage/security deposit of $400.00 is required for each reservation. The deposit is fully refundable assuming no damage or other charges have been incurred. Deposits are typically refunded within 72 hours of your departure.
How can I make my payment?
Payments can be made by personal check or credit card. If paying by check and sending via US mail, please realize that your dates cannot be held for you until we receive your payment. Payments can also be made through PayPal. If paying by credit card, we’re happy to provided you with an invoice via “Square.com” where you can pay with your card safely and securely online.
What happens if I need to cancel my stay?
Cancellation for any reason (including but not limited to weather, illness including Covid and pandemics, injury, scheduling conflicts, travel delays) for stays of 30 days or less must be received in writing 60 days prior to your arrival date. Cancellations for stays of more than 30 days require a 90-day cancellation notice. All cancellation requests must be made in writing and emailed to the owners. If cancellation is received within the cancellation window, a full refund of all monies paid less a $100.00 administrative charge will be provided. It is highly recommended that you consider purchasing “CFAR” (Cancel For Any Reason) trip interruption/cancellation travel insurance.
Do you offer Trip Insurance?
We strongly encourage you to purchase “CFAR” travel insurance (“Cancel For Any Reason”) which protects you from losses you may incur because of unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, injuries, and mandatory evacuations. A simple internet search for “Travel Insurance” will provide the websites of a number of providers who offer travel insurance, trip cancelation insurance, and other services. Among the most well-known sites are:
www.travelguard.com/aig/insurance
www.allianztravelinsurance.com
www.roamright.com/Travel/Insurance
www.squaremouth.com/
Travel insurance, although highly recommended, is not mandatory. Please note that this information is provided for your convenience and for reference purposes only and we in no way recommend one company over another or have any material interest in the purchase of travel insurance from these or any other providers. An internet search will also provide several listings for sites which rate, review and compare travel insurance offerings from various companies. It is always wise to do your homework, read up on what a given providers travel insurance may or may not cover and determine how it may fit your needs.
How many people can stay at one time? Can I have a party or event in the house?
Each of the properties has its own occupancy limit. This is for the safety of the guests as well as the plumbing and septic systems in the homes. The maximum occupancy cannot be exceeded at any time. No parties, weddings, events or other large gatherings are permitted.
Is Wi-Fi and television provided?
Free Wi-Fi and cable TV are provided, along with a Roku streaming device. The Wi-Fi passwords will be provided via email and are also posted in the home.
Do you supply linens?
You will find plenty of sheets, bath towels, washcloths, kitchen towels, extra pillows and blankets in each house.
Do you supply toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, garbage bags and soaps?
The homes are fully stocked with all paper goods, along with bath soap, hand soap, dishwasher liquid, dish-washing soap (such as “Dawn”), laundry soap and dryer sheets. We pride ourselves on making your stay comfortable and easy, and we believe you’ll find that the kitchen, baths and general pantry items are well supplied.
Arrival and Check-in:
We cannot leave until after work which means we may be arriving late. Is there a deadline for check-in? How do I get the keys?
We live right down the lane from both Blackwell Branch Cabin and Gili’s Cove Cottage and we meet each and every guest upon their arrival. This allows us to give you the keys, show you around the property and answer any questions you might have. We’ll ask you to give us a rough idea of your ETA (estimated time of arrival) once you’re on the road, and then to send a text when you’re about 15-20 minutes away so that we can be at the cabin/cottage when you arrive. If it looks like you’ll be arriving very late in the evening, we will make arrangements for you to gain access to the cabin and then we’ll check in with you the following morning.
Departure and Check-out:
I don’t want my vacation to end, but it’s time for us to check-out. What do I need to do?
A “Check-Out Checklist” is included in part of the rental agreement you signed and it is also posted in the cabin/cottage. Since we often have same-day turnover, we’ll ask you to help us out by starting the dishwasher, making sure all the remote controls are accounted for, checking for any possible left-behind items in drawers and closets, etc. Our properties are cleaned between each rental departure and arrival, sometimes in just a few hours’ time, so it is important to adhere to the departure and arrival times outlined in your rental agreement. If schedules permit, we will advise you if an opportunity for an earlier check-in or later departure are possible, however it is not guaranteed at all and we appreciate your complete cooperation to the posted check-in & check-out times.
Pet-friendly:
I love my dog and miss him when I’m gone. Can I bring him with me?
Casa On The Creek is pet-friendly– dogs only. There is a non-refundable pet fee of $110.00 for one dog and $160.00 for two dogs. Prior to giving you the OK to bring your pup, we’ll ask you to provide information about him so that we can decided if our properties are a good fit for you and your dog. In addition to the rental agreement, we’ll also ask you to complete and sign a pet policy agreement. You will not be able to bring your pet into the home if we do not have your signed pet policy agreement on file as part of the rental agreement. If your pet damages the home, or if you and/or your pet’s behavior causes disruption or complaint, you will forfeit your entire security deposit and you may be liable for the entire amount of damages and/or immediate eviction.
The pet policy agreement will inform you of some basic rules and requirements for having your dog stay with you, including but not limited to, that your pet will never be left alone unsupervised, or if left alone, must be crated, must stay off all furniture and beds, may not run loose, no excessive barking, must be on some sort of flea control, must show proof of current rabies vaccination.