WHY "ALMOST HEAVEN" SAUNAS?
“Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia
Mountain mamma, take me home
Country roads”
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver has been the unofficial song of West Virginia since it was released in 1971, coining the name “Almost Heaven” for the beautiful mountainous state.
“If you’re familiar with the song, and have been to West Virginia as many times as I have, then you’ll know that it truly does describe the experience. Mountains, rivers, winding country roads. You get it,” says Rick Mouw, President of Almost Heaven Saunas.
This summer, West Virginia is celebrating its 155th birthday. And to celebrate, the West Virginian Tourism Office is doing a campaign designed to share the beautiful and wild place through social media. Tourists and natives to the state are asked to take pictures of the uniqueness of West Virginia, the attractions, food, and nature, and then use the hashtag #AlmostHeaven to tell the stories of West Virginia.
So why do we call ourselves Almost Heaven Saunas?
More than 40 years ago in the late 70’s, there was a movement in West Virginia (I am calling it the “Almost Heaven” movement). The West Virginians were proud of their state, and proud of the song that captured its beauty for the rest of the world to see. Many companies and stores, from auto repair shops to bakeries, were using the name “Almost Heaven.” We (Almost Heaven Saunas) also feel that home-state pride and named our own sauna company after the beauty of the state where we began.
Another interesting fact about our company is that we name all of our saunas after cities or well-known landmarks in West Virginia. A few examples are the Bluestone, for its pristine state park and winding Bluestone River, the Weston, for its rustic historical districts, the Princeton, the “Jewel of the South” named for its natural beauty and economic opportunity, and, of course, the Allegheny, for the Allegheny Mountains that serve as part of the West Virginia state line, adding diversity in elevation, vegetation, and habitat. We build our saunas with these places in mind—with rustic beauty, tradition, and dependable materials.
As one of the largest recognized sauna brands in the United States, “Almost Heaven” (West Virginia) is deeply ingrained in who we are as a company.
West Virginia is not only where the sauna company has its roots, but where our factory remains today. Our factory, in Renick, West Virginia, manufactures dozens of saunas and sauna accessories every week. With decades of experience crafting home saunas, we make sure that our customers get the quality of materials and the superior customer service that they deserve.
So why “Almost Heaven”? Because there really is nothing better than the warmth and natural beauty of a traditional sauna and the beautiful state that this company calls home.
