New town, new sights

By Stephanie Desmond

Any time you go somewhere new, there are different things, people and traditions to observe. Gettysburg can give travelers a unique experience through its Civil War atmosphere.

I experienced this first-hand when I stopped for dinner Wednesday. It was my first time in the town since sixth grade, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I came upon O'Rourke's Resturaunt and Pub, so I decided to stop. I sat at a table near the bar and mostly people-watched, since I was alone. What I saw nearly made me check my phone to be sure I was still in 2009.

As I sat and ate my salad, a man in full Union soldier attire walked in. He sat at the bar and ordered a beer. Not much later, another soldier entered. Then followed a family with a soldier, woman with a giant hoop skirt and two children, also dressed as soldiers, muskets and all.

This isn't something one sees every day, especially not in Pittsburgh. Soldiers at the local pub definitely wasn't something I was expecting to see. It made me laugh inside but also made me appreciate what Gettysburg has to offer. The town doesn't just hold tours along the battlefield and provide some Abraham Lincoln statues to pose next to. Instead, it dedicates the entire atmosphere to the historical events. If you allow yourself, you can easily lose yourself in 1863.