Our Year of 2012 in pictures.
We spent the Christmas season 2011 and the New Year of 2012 in USA so therefore we start this story of 2012 in SanFrancisco where we started our US trip. Union Square are awaiting Christmas with this beautiful Christmas three.
After the long air trip it is nice to find our Hotel and get some rest before taking on SF.
For us - used to a cooler climate - it is exotic to see flowers out in the open in December.
San Franciscos well known transportation system - the Cable Car took us down hill to Fishermans Warf
Here we are. To visit the Fishermans Wharf is of course a must when in SF.
Alcatraz is not what it used to be - but in a distance it look all the same
There are plenty of opportunities to take a brake in one of the many restaurants that are avaliabe at Fishermans Wharf
Pier 39 is the place where anything can happen.
China Town - another "should visit" . Early in the day and the commerce had barely started.
But if you are up to it - nothing is stopping you from go shopping.
All stores are stocked up for the Christmas Season and they all want to tell you about it.
Be strong - or "shop til you drop"
One can allways take a brake with another "must"  - American Pancakes with Strawberries
We ended the week in SF with a perfect dinner . . .
San Fransisco
Las Vegas
We exchanged one of our Time share apartments in Florida with one in Las Vegas. It is the same Company and the apartments have almost the same layout as the one in Weston Florida. One exeption is the size of the buildings. Mizners Place has three and four storage buildings only.
At night the "Christmas tree" is ligthened up.
A very nice welcome to the resort.
Sonja documented the apartment and here are some of her pictures. The living room.
A very nice kitchen area with "everything"
Part of the bedroom.
Part of the Bathroom. Nice and practical.



There are a lot more to Las Vegas area than the Strip. We visit the Strip to but first a
trip  to Hoover Dam. It was originaly called Boulder Dam as it was built near Boulder City but later changed to Hoover Dam - named after President Herbert Hoover. Colorado river forms the Lake Mead above the dam and has become a recreational area with a  lot of activities. The dam was finished in 1936.
This bridge opened in 2010 and was causing us som trouble as our GPS-map was not updated. We passed a couple of times but finally found our way down to the dam.
The turbines where not running at full effect due to low waterlevels in the lake.
The channel down to this turbine was totally dry.
When we arrived in Las Vegas - we had a message that Kristian and family had booked tickets as a Christmas gift to us. Treasure Island was the place for this fantastic show by Cirque du Soleil. Our seats where great on the second row.
It happened everywhere - all the time in this gigantic manege. Just awsome.
The Strip should absolutly be explored at night. One can wonder how much of the electricity from the Hoover Dam goes to lighten up the Strip with all the buildings. Here the Palazzo.
Treasure Island
Excalibur. Everything is not necessarily what it seems to be
and that goes for this Pirate Ship at the Treasure Island as well.
This ship was undergoing repair.
Venice in the desert?
The desert is just around the corner but is far from the Strip - as far as entertainment goes. We visited the Red Rock area wich has everyting of nature that the strip has not.