
MIR’s 30 Years: Overland Expeditions – Total Solar Eclipse in Siberia (VIDEO)
(Douglas Grimes is co-founder and president of MIR Corporation.)
In the 30 years since the founding of MIR Corporation, I cannot begin to count the memorable and extraordinarily creative handcrafted, custom journeys that we have nurtured and successfully produced. It’s not unlike being the director of a movie, overseeing the imaginative beginnings, middles and endings as well as the critical details that make up each section, each scene.
One of those memorable highlights was in the heart of Siberia, chasing the sun in a total solar eclipse.
MIR found the perfect spot for total eclipse travelers: on a beach outside Novosibirsk, Siberia
Photo credit: Douglas Grimes
Unlike many Russian cities, Novosibirsk still has a Lenin Square as well as a Lenin statue
Photo credit: Eileen Bjorkman
(click on photo for larger version)
A “total eclipse chaser” prepares for total darkness in Novosibirsk, Siberia
Photo credit: Douglas Grimes
(click on photo for larger version)
More on “MIR’s 30 Years”
Learn more about “MIR’s 30 Years” in the stories below, all embedded with videos. They include MIR’s beginnings and the mindset and mission of MIR’s president and co-founder, Douglas Grimes; MIR’s utterly unique travel offerings at the crossroads of Europe and Asia; and Siberia, one of MIR’s favorites specialties.
You can also view the video series of “MIR’s 30 Years” on MIR’s YouTube channel, , specifically under the playlist,
MIR’s Beginnings
- “Imagine Your Journey with MIR” (story); – MIR’s 30-year expertise in making dream trips come true.
- “198os Volleyball Diplomacy, and MIR’s Beginning” (story); – Volleyball is the game changer: a young Douglas Grimes dreams big, and his (MIR) world changes forever.
- “Back in the U.S.S.R.” (story); – Traveling back in time to MIR’s mid-1980s beginning, and a watershed decision.
MIR’s One-of-a-Kind Journeys
- “Handcrafted Journeys: Making MIR Movies” (story); – MIR’s memorable custom, private journeys are akin to making movies, including tracing family history “back in the old country.”
- “Epic Journeys: Ultimate Dream Trips” (story); – MIR’s adventurous overland expeditions include one Canadian couple’s extensive yearly travels, from driving along the Silk Road to motoring through China, Siberia, and the Balkans.
- “Beyond the Stars, Inside the Russian Space Program” (story); – MIR President Douglas Grimes’ favorite tour harkens back to the U.S.-Soviet space race, from exploring Star City’s once-classified cosmonaut training facility to witnessing the manned launch of a Soyuz spacecraft.
- “Overland Expeditions: Motorcycling with GlobeRiders” (story); – Intrepid motorcyclists repeatedly choose MIR for their global travel logistics, from the South Caucasus to Iran, and from Siberia to Central Asia.
- “Overland Expeditions: Roving the World in Land Rovers” (story); – Land-roving at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, MIR creates an ambitious itinerary for 54 participants and 18 vehicles, from Kazakhstan to Turkey.
Siberia, A MIR Specialty
- “Why I’m Sold on Siberia” (story); – Countless reasons why MIR President Douglas Grimes loves this vast, pristine place.
- “Siberia’s Beauty of Lake Baikal” (story); – MIR President Douglas Grimes’ lasting memories of this legendary lake in Siberia.
- “Overland Expeditions: Channeling Siberia and Beyond” (story); – One of MIR President Douglas Grimes’ early (ad)ventures into Siberia with one channeler, her five dozen followers, and their six sacred crystals.
- “Overland Expeditions: Driving Siberia and Beyond” (story); – MIR helps intrepid motorists re-create the 1908 automotive Great Race in their 1928 vintage car, down to gas station locations in Siberia and tricky border crossings.
- “Overland Expeditions: Running Through Russia and Beyond” (story); – MIR’s extraordinary logistics for 79 runners and support personnel, running 5,500 miles from Eastern Europe to China via Russia and Siberia, all to promote safer drinking water.
- “Overland Expeditions: Total Solar Eclipse in Siberia” (story); – MIR prepares three years in advance to bring more than 300 travelers – “sun chasers” – to the heart of Siberia for a rare total solar eclipse.
MIR, in a Nutshell
- “MIR in a Nutshell” (story) – Compact and concise, here’s everything you need to know about MIR on one page.
(Top photo credit: Douglas Grimes – Novosibirsk, Siberia is swathed in darkness at the apex of the 2008 total solar eclipse.)
PUBLISHED: November 3, 2016