The business district of Bowling Green is only about a block long. You'll find the post office off…read moreMain Street on Milford Street, across from the State Police Office and adjacent to John's Barber Shop. Yes, it's a little like the town of Mayberry! I was surprised that this post office is larger than most with a community of this small size. There's a decent sized parking lot, the interior could definitely use a facelift! It definitely has a musty, old odor! They offer passport service here, again, unusual for a quaint town like this. I hope you're not in a hurry to get your passport either, not all staff is trained for this service. If you make an appointment, you'll have better luck! The hours are 8:30-1, 2-5 M-F, and 9:30-12:00 on Saturday. Expect mediocre service, long waits and blasé personalities. The folks here aren't crazy about their jobs. Nothing to "write home about."

A post office is a post office not necessarily so never had bad service here folks are always…read morefriendly if you have questions or need advice about the town or need information directions they are more than happy to help so happy to have a post office in the area

Great historical marker, in its actual setting!…read more Come debate and talk about US history! Great - and accurate in its place at the intersection of William Street - historical resource for all ages, all races, all creeds, all walks of life, all genders, all peoples! An absolute must to understand America in its 'en plein air' scenery. This is where the town of Fredericksburg sold pigs, wheat, rice, white indentured servants and shoes. Since almost all of Fredericksburg was blasted to rubble in the Civil War, this one monument still stands the test of time: not in a dustbin museum showcase, where nobody cares that an item wastes away, but in real life! Erasing history, spells ruin for future posterity. Walk with people who make America, America!! We are our Past. The Rebel review: 5 stars

Sadly another important piece of history not around anymore. Removing historical monuments doesn't…read moretake from our history.would love to know where it went?!

While looking for the Pyramid, keep going to almost the very end of Lee Drive and you'll see the…read morePyramid past the railroad tracks in the distance to your left. And since you're visiting the Pyramid, take your time going down Lee Drive. Many Confederate fighting positions are still visible, including an artillery site and trench works. I found this to be more interesting than the Pyramid itself. While you can see the Pyramid from the road you can't get close to it, since it's on the other side of an active Amtrak line. About the battle: While the Union's river crossing on Day 1 and heroic attack on the Sunken Road at Marye's Heights on Day 3 get plenty of attention, Day 2 is often overlooked. In fact Meade's attack against the southern Confederate flank on Day 2 almost broke through their lines, but failed mostly because of poor communication between Union commanders. The "pyramid" stands near the point of the Union's greatest penetration. The "Slaughter Pen" (which has its own Yelp entry) is on the opposite side of the wood line. Unfortunately the Confederate and Union positions are separated by the railroad, so you can't walk the entire length of the battlefield. Funny thing about the Pyramid - it was actually built by southerners. The idea for a monument was pitched by the Confederate Memorial Literary Society to Virginia railroad execs who sought to memorialize the battle in a location visible to train travelers. The pyramid shape is based on the monument to the Unknown Confederate dead in Richmond.

A very cool hidden gem in Fredericksburg - there is a path that you can walk down but I don't think…read moreyou're supposed to. There is a train track in between the path and the pyramid. You can pull off of the road and take pictures with a zoomed lens. It was a bit challenging to find - my Apple Maps took me to the wrong place (completely different battlefield!) but android seemed to have it down just fine. Just make sure you're going to the location near Lee Dr!

The house just reopened this past Friday since COVID started. They had volunteers inside, and we…read moretook a short tour. They had a section of a tree, that had cannonballs lodged inside. We also walked out to the graveyard to see the headstone, for Stonewall Jackson's arm. House was built around 1790. Free to visit. (Donations accepted)

I stopped at Elwood Manor after being at the Wilderness Battlefield earlier in the afternoon…read more Elwood Manor was hosting a 'day in the life' event called Taming the Wilderness. It was pretty interesting, with quite a few walking trail tours and a bunch of different stations where reenactors discussed what life was like back in the 1700s and 1800s. Some of the stations included stonemasonry, an 18th century physician, huntsman lifestyle, cooking, log cutting station and 18th century tavern life. I don't know how often they do this, but it was a pretty cool ending to the day...I just wish I had my son with me.

USPS. Mineral, VA. This is one of the closest post offices to our home, although it's still 11…read moremiles away. We were running errands in Mineral today, and dropped into the post office to pick up some Christmas-themed stamps. The USPS employee was friendly, parking was easy and sufficient, BUT they had already sold all of their Christmas-themed stamps (more than two weeks before Christmas!) So, our Christmas cards will be going out with dahlia-themed stamps!

The small town of Mineral was founded in 1890, and as you might have guessed, was named for the…read moremining industry which supported the community. Gold, zinc and lead were all mined in the area. This post office isn't much to look at... the long brick building houses dozens and dozens of post office boxes for mail delivery in this rural town. With a population of under 600 folks, you won't find this mail center very busy. The mail carriers use regular vehicles to deliver mail, rather than official USPS mail trucks. The interior is shabby, peeling walls, dingy counters and dirty floors. Shipping and mailing supplies were low, and the racks were disorganized with several boxes just strewn on the floor. There was a greeting card display which I doubt gets much action. The clerks are friendly and efficient, and seem to know most of the neighbors around town. You won't be in a gold rush here! There are a few drop off mail boxes on the side of the building. The hours are 8:30-1:00, 2:00-4:30 M-F, and Saturday 9-11. No passport services, but the usual small town services are provided. If the workers here get the "lead" out, spruce up this government building and take some pride in this place, I "zinc" they could earn some extra gold stars! But perhaps, bureaucracy is under"mining" its progress!

The Slaughter Pen is the site of one of the bloodier fights that made up the Battle of…read moreFredericksburg. The Union briefly penetrated Confederate lines, but miscommunication between General Burnside and his subordinate commanders resulted in their failure to exploit the breach. After this defeat, Burnside launched an even more disastrous assault Marye's Heights the next day. How bloody was it? Five Medals of Honor were awarded to men who served here. So suffice to say, the nickname for this fight is apt. The area is primarily private property, who's owner made a deal with Civil War Trust to erect a walking path and signs through the corn farm. While bits and pieces of the overall battlefield remain, this property is unique in that it's the only remaining part of the battle where you can follow much (but not all) of the day's fighting almost from beginning to end. Be sure to park in the designated areas and not wander off the trail. The walk takes maybe 60 minutes, and is guided by a number of interpretive plaques along the path. You can also download an app to guide your tour. You can also visit the Meade Pyramid along Lee's drive, which was the Confederate trench line the Union was trying to reach. Unfortunately an AMTRAK line separates the Slaughter Pen from Lee's Drive, so you can't walk the entire length of the fight. If you enjoy the tour, thank Civil War Trust, who are working to preserve the land. This place is not part of the larger NPS Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fredericksburg/fredericksburg-history-articles/slaughter-pen-virtual-tour/

Visit this serene farm!…read more During the battle of Fredericksburg, desperate Union soldiers - the Meade leadership fearing a thumping and the death of ranks - tried to break the Confederate lines: not possible. Meade's 'brigade' was chopped to bits in the swamp and railroad embankments. The Confederate troops did not budge. What resulted was the encirclement of Union troops; and a massacre. Bayonets pierced guts. This is the original farm as it was then. It is wooden and there are trails that meander around. There are trails plenty and many signs to guide you through, it was once the stained grounds of the Battle of Fredericksburg. Rebel review: 4

If you're a fan of tiny towns like I am, you'll really enjoy discovering Port Royal. But, don't…read moreblink or you'll miss this historic "settlement" dating back to 1652. Chartered in 1744, many of the buildings and houses were built in the 1700s and are now part of the town's historic charm. Population of about 200, Port Royal sits next to the Rappahannock River in the Northern Neck of Virginia just off of the James Madison Memorial Bridge. While exploring area, be sure to check out the Port Royal Museum to get a snapshot of this town's significance. It was here that James Wilkes Booth was shot, and also had some Civil War action as well. Tool around the roads off of Route 301 to capture the feel of PR. You will not only see some cool colonial architecture, but you will find a wildlife refuge and some other points of interest. There are several restaurants on the main road, and Horne's is a great travel pit stop! There are several antique shops and a trading post dotted along the highway along with a produce stand and a municipal pier. It won't take long to explore this location but it will linger in your mind as a memorable experience.

The Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery stands as one of the most sobering records of the cost of…read morethe Battle of Fredericksburg. Following the battle in December 1862, Confederate dead were initially buried in shallow, often hastily marked graves across the battlefield, hospital grounds, and surrounding areas of Fredericksburg. It wasn't until the 1870s that women's memorial associations--particularly the Ladies' Memorial Association of Fredericksburg--undertook the painstaking work of locating, identifying when possible, and reinterring these soldiers into a single, dignified resting place. By the time the cemetery was formally established, over 3,000 Confederate soldiers had been gathered here, with estimates suggesting more than 60% remain unidentified. Among the notable figures connected to those interred is Daniel Ruggles, whose broader Civil War service links Fredericksburg to campaigns across the Western Theater. Ruggles organized what became known as "Ruggles' Battery"--a massive concentration of artillery, pulling together over 50 cannons from scattered units and positioning them to break through a stubborn Union defensive line (the famous "Hornet's Nest" at Shiloh). After the war, he eventually settled in Fredericksburg, where he became part of the postwar Southern community that worked to preserve the memory of the Confederacy and its soldiers. When he died in 1897, he was buried here. Abner Monroe Perrin was a South Carolina native and aggressive brigade commander in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, known for leading from the front and sharing the same risks as his men. He fought through major campaigns including Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, commanding primarily South Carolina troops, and earned a reputation for bold, relentless assaults. Perrin was killed on July 1, 1863, during the opening day of the Battle of Gettysburg while advancing his brigade under heavy fire near Seminary Ridge--an example of the high casualty rate among Confederate officers who led charges firsthand. He was originally buried in Pennsylvania. After the war, as was common with notable Confederate officers, efforts were made by family or Confederate memorial groups to recover and rebury his remains. I spent too much time here. So much history packed into this cemetery. Enjoyed our time here. Well maintained.

Being in Fredericksburg to visit family. As a history buff,…read morethis area is amazing. Not to pick sides of the civil war we also visited the Confederate Cemetery. Very interesting to read the tombstones and grave marker. So much loss at a young age. One can spend days exploring this area. Don't forget to download for the civil war battlefield app. Used it all over Fredericksburg.