On our social media road trip through Michigan’s 83 counties in 11 days, we did our best to keep fans, followers and blog readers abreast of the adventure. We shared the good, the bad, the crazy. But what we didn’t share were all of the things that happened when the sun went down. So, here you have it, the best untold stories from the road.

“Are you secretly on a brewery trip?”

#MeetMichigan kicked-off their "unofficial Michigan brewery tour" at Bell's in Kalamazoo on day one.

One of our favorite bar tenders, Tommy, was convinced #MeetMichigan was a façade to secretly visit Michigan breweries across the state on the company’s dime. As genius as that may be, such was not the case. However, more nights than not, our evenings were spent visiting local breweries around the state.

Big shout outs to Bells Brewery (Kalamazoo), Left Foot Charley (Traverse City), Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro (Hastings), Hereford & Hops (Escanaba), Keweenaw Brewing Company (Houghton) and The Green Well (Grand Rapids) for showing us how great local brew (and grub) can be. Even Anna, a staunch fruity drink drinker, enjoyed a blonde beer or two on the trip.

Bloody Marys for dinner

We have to give up for the creativity in calling them "Basket Cases" but we're not sure about the vegies.

There was one evening, in a crowded beach town, before a busy holiday weekend where the team had a difficult time finding a place to eat. Eventually, we stopped into a restaurant (that shall remain nameless) off the beaten path marked “24 hours.” Said restaurant had a back parking lot, no waiting and a long list of “specials” … also, their hours were (in fact) posted on their door (they’re 24 hours from 6 a.m. – 2 a.m.).

Upon entering, we found they had a great deal on a Bloody Mary. After chuckling over a few typos on the menu and guzzling down what was the best Bloody Mary of the trip, we ordered. After half eating a basket of chicken fingers gone wrong and a soggy fish sandwich, Anna and Julie discovered it’s sometimes better to just have Bloody Marys for dinner (after all, that’s why they come with so many garnishes).

This looks like the hotel in The Shining

Don't be fooled! This one way mirror from our bedroom at The Historic House of Ludington was actually a large glass window (the two-way kind) ... facing the elevator.

Our first night in the U.P., the #MeetMichigan team stayed at The Historic House of Ludington in Escanaba. For those, like us, who may be too busy to run a full history of the hotel you’re booking, please know this one is reportedly (very) haunted.

While no one in the group was bothered by such allegations, locals and travel blogs alike confirmed it’s haunted status (and the eerie resemblance to the hotel from The Shining). A quick Google search returned several first-hand accounts, photos and video of paranormal experiences at The Historic House of Ludington.

Though no one from our crew saw a ghost (per se), let it be known that Anna and Julie both awoke at 3:41 a.m. (the haunting hour), sat straight up in bed and looked at each other for no reason … every other night we slept like rocks. We got an early start the next day …

Getting crazy at Kewadin

We did our best to fix Aha's crank after the incident at Kewadin, but after several unsuccessful repairs we threw in the towel.

Did you know that Michigan is home to 19 Native American casinos throughout the upper and lower peninsulas? Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie was nice enough to put us up for the evening on our last night in the U.P. While the humans played it cool at the slots, Aha got a little crazy, resulting in the untimely amputation of his crank.

Recharge, research and another t-shirt

When we checked into our hotels, it was a mad dash to find every possible outlet. I’m fairly certain we got our money’s worth in hotels with the electricity alone. With a myriad of electronics on the trip, it was important to make sure everything (including our team) was recharged for the next day.

Brewpubs, hauntings and casinos aside, a big chunk of most evenings were spent uploading photos, researching for the next day, reviewing our routes, checking analytics and setting out a fresh #MeetMichigan t-shirt for the morning.

If there’s one market that’s relatively untapped in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it’s got to be wireless coverage. Whoever had the idea to tweet from all 83 counties in Michigan had clearly never tried using the Tweet Deck app from M-28 east.

Just when we thought we’d seen every internet error message an iPhone could produce, we got another one. Here is a small collection of the messages from days five and six of our trip:

While we typically appreciate this kind of frank honesty, it almost put us over the edge in Keweenaw County.

"Searching..." Yeah, I bet you are.

We don't even know what this means. But it does result in a stifled Google search of the Pictured Rocks.

Maps can't connect. Safari can't connect. We'll just keep heading east.

This was one of the fortunate times Tweet Deck saved our tweet as a draft. We were not always so lucky.

It doesn't matter how many times you click "Revise" sometimes you just can't make it happen.

We're not sure what server they're referring to, but honestly ... does it matter?

All joking aside, when businesses, residents and travelers are isolated from using new forms of communication like social media, it can make relationship building and brand building a lot more challenging.

We’re here to say, though, it’s not impossible. After a few profanities, a clever use of the “copy + paste” function and a great deal of patience, all of our tweets did go through. We look forward to the days of our return to the U.P. and the improving wireless coverage that is sure to continue.

A big hope for #MeetMichigan was social media engagement from businesses we may not otherwise have connected with. So, when Rock River Café (@rockrivercafe) tweeted at us from Chatham, Michigan (population 231) we had work it into our route.

Around 11 a.m. on day six of our trip, we coasted into Chatham. What we found was more than just a café. We found the beauty of entrepreneurism and the essence of #MeetMichigan.

When the Motion Mobile rolled into Chatham we knew we were in for a treat

Lesson #1: You can come home again

Owners Pat Nesberg and John Filus shared their all-too-familiar story of struggling through the U.S.’s economic hardship over the last several years. After living in various southern states, Pat decided to bring her years of restauranting knowledge back to Michigan. She and John opened Rock River Café in May 2011, and never looked back.

Lesson #2: Invest in history

One might ask, “why Chatham,” (we certainly did). Situated at the corner of Rock River Road and Munising Street (not too far from Slapneck Road, seriously) Pat and John purchased an historic hotel building that had nearly fallen beyond repair. Previous owners had tried to restore the “money pit” but had not succeeded. You can sense a great deal of pride in the owners for giving life to an important piece of their community’s history.

Lesson #3: Believe in your product

Don’t let the presentation of their menu fool you – the four, stapled 8.5” x 11” pieces of paper are chocked full of locally sourced options, with an array of vegan and vegetarian meals – good for both the heart and the soul.

@RockRiverCafe had recommended (via Twitter) that we try Swamp Thing, their most popular vegan dish. I don’t think we’ll ever look at vegan the same way. The wonderfully seasoned grilled potatoes held together the spinach, quinoa, fresh garlic and vegetables perfectly.  Served with a side of Lake Superior Wild Sourdough and homemade blackberry preserves, this breakfast blew our minds (and our tastebuds).

We spoke with the chef’s after our meal, and the pride everyone has in the food they prepare is outstanding. You can taste their passion and knowledge in every bite, and it leaves you begging for more.

Swamp Thing, RRC's vegan breakfast specialty

A sample of Pannukakku, a Finnish, gingerbread pancake

Lesson #4: You can’t beat quality

As the #MeetMichigan team enjoyed their breakfast, questions began to form about the viability of Rock River Café in it’s current location. Do they have enough patrons in Chatham to support their business? Would local residents be willing to purchase items from the moderately priced menu? How would a town of increasingly older generations feel about this “new-age” food?

Luckily, we met Linda – who classifies herself in the 60+ age demographic. Linda had many positive things to say about Rock River Café. She explained that locals who have eaten at Rock River Café really appreciate the investment Pat and John have made, as well as the quality of their food. She said, she and her husband don’t mind paying a little more because the freshness of the food makes them feel better about eating it.

Linda also went on to tell us that even though the Rock River Café uses the same tables, plates and silverware as the previous establishment, everything feels cleaner and healthier because of the business Pat and John have built.

Lesson #5: You’re never too small for social media

Another essential element to Rock River’s sustainability is the investment Pat is making in social media. A large number of their customers are tourists visiting larger, nearby towns like Munising. Without her dedication to Rock River’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, Pat doesn’t believe the restaurant would be doing as well. Truth of the matter is, without Their twitter account, we wouldn’t have been eating there.

Lesson #6: Where everybody knows your handle

There a handful of places that we’ve hated saying goodbye to. Oddly enough, most of them involve food, and Rock River Café was one of them. There’s something about eating at a locally sourced, vegan-inspired café in a town of 231 people that makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger.

From the moment we walked through the door, we felt like a regular. Pat may not have known our names, but she knew our Twitter handles. It was like we’d eaten there every day since they opened just seven weeks ago. It’s the kind of warmth you wouldn’t expect from a relationship built through social media, but it’s one of the friendliest places we’ve visited to date.

What’s more, is that they greet everyone this way: regulars, tourists and social media friends alike. You never have to worry about eating alone – customers were engaged in conversation with one another and John visited nearly every table in the room.

There’s really nothing we didn’t love about Rock River Café. And honestly, these are the kind of places (and people) that we believe make Michigan a beautiful place to live, visit and dine. Thanks Pat and John for reminding us what #MeetMichigan is really all about. You truly rock.

Julie, Pat, Aha, John and Anna (don't forget Andrew photo bombing from the kitchen)

Check out Upper Peninsula’s Second Wave for a feature on Rock River Cafe. And be sure to follow Rock River Café on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

Copper Harbor Lighthouse at Keweenaw Point

One of Michigan’s most attractive qualities is its seasons.

Devout sun-worshippers sludge through our snowy months for summers spent on the shores of the great lakes; snow bunnies sweat it out for the glorious winter months when they take to the slopes and set up their shanties. No matter your favorite, most of us can agree it’s nice to have four seasons in the mitten (variety is the spice of life).

When it comes to our state, #MeetMichigan is finding there’s a lot more variety to love than just our seasons. There is an array of lifestyles, cultures and communities to explore, as well; from an urban core like Grand Rapids; to the rural farmlands of Lake City, to the picturesque Keweenaw Peninsula. Our state is an attractive place for many types of people.

Attracting a diverse population is vital for innovation and business. In Frans Johansson’s The Medici Effect, he explains that innovation occurs at intersections of cultures, ideas and individuals. It’s imperative, then, to build regions (and a state) that attract a diverse, globally and locally minded workforce to inspire future industries and businesses for Michigan.

Luckily, our landscape provides a multitude of settings (and seasons) that draw engineers and eco-buffs, big business and entrepreneurs, city dwellers and nature lovers alike. It will be these types of people (both in Michigan and those who travel here) that take our beautiful state into the future.

One way to begin sharing ideas is through social media. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and blogs allow idea sharing (like this) at a very low cost. It’s a simple way to connect diverse thinkers with communities across the state, nation and world.

On day six of 11, #MeetMichigan is surprisingly overwhelmed at the potential for communities and connection across our state. Many places seem to be isolated but with great knowledge and resources to share. Michigan has a wonderful foundation for growth; now, it’s about seizing opportunities and sharing ideas. We’ve got the crust — it’s time to build the (world’s largest cherry) pie.

Did you know the World's Largest Cherry Pie was constructed and baked in Charlevoix, Michigan?

The pie tin and oven were constructed especially for the occasion by local companies.