Milwaukee really glistens in summer as the festival spirit speads across town. But Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's finds us Milwaukeeans hosting friends and family from elsewhere and it's a little harder to show off our fab city when there are piles of dirty snow along the curbs and the even the mercury in the thermometers have gone south.

Here are some suggestions from the resident Milwaukee experts at OnMilwaukee.com to help make your planning a little easier.

Molly Snyder Edler
Staff Writer
Assuming they aren't opposed to strong and potentially flaming cocktails, I would take my guests on a tour of lounges: At Random, Bryant's and possibly the new swanky love shack, Two. I would also squeeze in a Lakefront Brewery tour. Beyond booze-related excursions, I love to show off the Milwaukee Art Museum, Fischburger's Variety Store on Holton Street for fun shopping and bowling at Koz's, Bay View Bowl or Falcon Bowl. If my guests were physically inclined, I would recommend renting skis from UWM and cruising along the river -- maybe even atop it if the temperatures dipped below freezing.

Julie Lawrence
Staff Writer
A recent visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W. Canal St., made me realize that you don't have to be a bitchin' biker to enjoy this slice of Hog heaven. The museum is rich with interesting pop culture references, interactive exhibits and video galleries that tell of Harley's -- and Milwaukee's -- wild ride. The museum's two restaurants, the smaller, grab-and-go Café Racer and the gorgeously constructed Motor, which features hearty, unique dishes inspired by the open road, are great pit stops after a day of learning about the legend.

Drew Olson
Senior Editor
When you down to it, there are two kinds of holiday guests -- those with kids and those without. Here is an idea that can cover both groups.

Hire a limousine for a couple hours, pile in and have the driver take you around the city to check out the holiday lights. Hit Downtown. Drive through Miller Valley. Go through Candy Cane Lane. Kids get jazzed about being in a limo. Bring hot chocolate and cookies for the ride and bring a camera to climb out and take some cool pictures. If the gathering is for adults, bring some wine or champagne along with some cheese, crackers or other suitable noshies.

If you want to get creative, you can do a "round robin" type deal and stop for a cordial or some food at the home of each participant. The great thing about this idea is that it's unique, family-friendly and, well, you don't have to worry about assigning a designated driver.

Maureen Post
Staff Writer
Milwaukee is a great place to show off. Most newcomers are pleasantly surprised if not shocked by everything going on in this city. Shopping and cafes in the Third Ward, the Milwaukee Art Museum and a tour of Miller Park make great trips for Milwaukee first timers. But if you have guests who annually spend the holiday in Milwaukee without fail, you might need something a little different. I suggest the Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design, a movie at the Oriental, coffee at Art Bar, Iron Horse Hotel for drinks and dinner at Nessun Dorma. Need a few more ideas? Check out the new Harley Museum, Lakefront Brewery tour or brave the winter breeze at the Schlitz Audubon Center.

Bobby Tanzilo
Managing Editor
Of course, where I take out of town guests begins with a discussion of what interests them and I adjust accordingly. The go-to spots are the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Domes, the Lakefront (although that's more exciting in summer, generally speaking). If they're into down-home goodness, there's bowling at Holler House, breakfast at the counter at Ted's diner in Wauwatosa, shopping at American Science and Surplus and a stroll through the Public Museum's "Streets of Old Milwaukee" and "European Village."

I sometimes have people come who are interested in Italians in Milwaukee, so I take them to Bay View (Groppi's, Club Garibaldi, etc.), Brady Street (Glorioso's, Sciortino's, etc.) and the Third Ward (ICC, Pompei Square, etc.). Sometimes people just want to shop and in that case I take them somewhere appropriate for that (Third Ward, Brady Street, Mayfair, Bayshore). A brewery tour -- Sprecher, Lakefront or Miller -- is also on tap for my lucky guests!

Andy Tarnoff
Publisher
I must say, I've never had the privilege (or the burden, depending on how you look at it), to host guests for an extended time during the holiday season. Usually, visitors are smart enough to come during our beautiful summer. That said, I'd make a tour of Milwaukee in December an almost exclusively indoor affair, perhaps with the exception of a skating excursion at Red Arrow Park. We'd fill the days with trips to the Domes, Lakefront Brewery, American Science and Surplus and the Milwaukee Public Market. By night, we'd hit a movie at the Oriental Theater and find a cozy bar with a fireplace, perhaps County Clare. Of course, if snow was in the forecast, we'd bundle up and go sledding by the North Ave. water tower. Winter in Milwaukee isn't special, it's just extreme. But us hardy residents find a way to make it through, and anyone visiting me over the holidays would find that out first-hand.