Chesterfield Gorge and Springfield Armory

I then headed into Massachusetts to see the Chesterfield Gorge. Heading over through the Berkshires though I caught sight of some really brightly painted historic buildings so I pulled over to see what it was. Turns out it was the Hancock Shaker Village and it’s a living history museum. It costs $17 and I didn’t have a lot of time so I contented myself with taking pictures of some of the buildings from the road. It looked like a really charming place. I finally arrived at Chesterfield Gorge and took some time to eat my lunch at a lovely picnic spot. There is a trail that runs along the gorge so I strolled down along the river. When I hear the word “gorge” I think of Watkins Glen and Ithaca and this really wasn’t in that league but it was a nice spot for a stroll. I thought this access point was really funny because you must be short and skinny to pass through. Even I had to turn sideways to fit through. I found a nice spot by the river to dip my toes in and relaxed for a bit. The Gorge is run by the Trustees of Reservations and a nice gentleman handed me a brochure of other preserved spots. I decided to stop by Dinosaur Footprints on my way to Springfield. It's just a pulloff with a short trail to a large rock with dinosaur footprints in it. I then drove into the city of Springfield, MA to go to the Springfield Armory. It’s a unique spot because it is a part of a community college and the armory blends right into the campus.

The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts, was - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. It features one of the world's largest collections of historic firearms. The Springfield Armory became the site of numerous technological innovations of global importance, including Interchangeable parts, the assembly line style of mass production, and modern business practices, such as hourly wages.

In 1843, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the Armory and wrote his poem "The Arsenal at Springfield.” The anti-war poem described the rows of finished guns, by that point 1,000,000 stockpiled there, stored vertically in open racks: "Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms." This “organ” was really cool. The entire factory is now a museum showcasing guns from the Revolutionary War until the Vietnam War. It was really interesting to see and learn about the importance of this armory. The grounds were really nice too

I made my way over to Wells State Park for the night and it is an excellent campground. I had a site close to the beach and I spent much of the night reading down by the quiet beach.