A day in the country: Pebble Hall Wildflowers — Road Trip 2020

Pebble Hall Wildflowers, Weyers Cave, VA

It is not easy to walk alone in the country without musing upon something.

Charles Dickens

A little wiggle room in your travel itinerary just might do what it did for us: produce a great stand-out memory. At Frederick House in Staunton, VA, our first stop for Road Trip 2020, we asked the owner if he had a favorite, don’t-miss place that might not be “on the radar” for area tourists. He smiled as if to say, “I know just the place,” and replied “Just up the road a bit is Pebble Hall Wildflowers — pick your own bouquet, leave a donation in the Honor System bucket, and enjoy the scenery! One of my favorites.”

The shed at Pebble Hall where you pay for photography sessions and bouquets on the honor system and pick up free recipes and tips from the owners while you enjoy free cups of water.

So Pebble Hall became, for us, a serendipitous find and more: a privately owned 15-acre farm complete with, as the owner told us later, a wildflower garden tended by his wife, corn fields and cows tended to by himself, with a house, museum, fairy garden, silo and tractor — available to all with free roaming on the property.

The home at Pebble Hall

“Photographers,” the owner told us, “love our place for capturing shots of families, brides and grooms, and children laughing as they play among the flowers, corn stalks, and farm implements. One girl from Mary Baldwin wanted to pose with the cows and post her photo on Instagram. Of course, we let her — they’re friendly,” he said with a smile.

Checking us out: the cows of Pebble Hall!

We strolled the flower fields noting their natural state in seemingly random (yet pleasing to the eye) plantings. At the end of the prime summer season, their vivid colors heralded one last grand show before fall.

Photo ops appeared at every turn: corn fields, silo, tractor, fencing, and we could see why this place, natural and unpretentious as it is, would appeal to many. For two city slickers as we are, Pebble Hall was a heavenly treat — a chance to stand still and breathe country air rather than just pointing at barns and farms from our car. We took it all in.

The owner asked us as we approached the back side of the farm, “Have you seen the museum and fairy garden yet?” We hadn’t. But did so, with great reward.

What’s behind this door? The museum at Pebble Hall Wildflowers.

The museum held the owner’s collections: stones, castings of animal footprints, bones, skulls, feathers, you name it. If it was natural and nearby, he put it into the museum.

Feathers, nests, and other natural collectibles fill the “museum” at Pebble Hall.

His wife developed the fairy garden alongside the house as another area to show off a sweet collection of figures and fairy huts among the perennials.

Sweet little fairy baby at Pebble Hall

Pebble Hall Wildflowers may take some of you back to your childhood, if farm experiences were part of your growing up. For us, it was a chance to linger and look lovingly at America’s heartland and better understand the joy of living simply.

In the Pebble Hall museum, a collection of rocks, stones, bones, and stuff!

The owner told us that he and his wife hope to sell the farm in three or four years, so you heard it here: Another lifestyle may await you in Weyers Cave, Virginia, if the sweet sounds and natural vibes of country living appeal to you.

Fall 2020: Pebble Hall Wildflowers

But even if you’re not in a buying mood, take a couple of hours to decompress as you wander the fields and land around Pebble Hall. As you can see, a tip from a bed-and-breakfast owner paid off for us. All we had to do was ask!

Travel serendipitously,

Rusha & Bert

How to get to Pebble Hall: Take I-81 from Staunton, VA. At Exit 235, go East. When you come to the stoplight in downtown Weyers Cave, turn left. Turn right on Chapel Hill Lane (Route 996) to the first right.

From the website: “You won’t fight traffic, but there might be a cow or turtle in the road!”

Hope you’ll check out other posts in this series: Road Trip 2020

23 thoughts on “A day in the country: Pebble Hall Wildflowers — Road Trip 2020

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Staunton has some amazing buildings. We kept looking up at rooflines, steeples, etc. so much great architecture preserved. We shopped downtown and loved the people who worked in Staunton. I’d love a return trip. I’ll check out your link. Right now I’m unable to access on my phone. Stay tuned!

    2. Oh, the Places We See

      Dawn, I tried again to click on your link above and read your post. But something’s not working. Please try again. I may not be able to check for a couple of days since we’re traveling, but I will when I return. All the best.

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      I love that tractor, too. When we were told that photographers used the farm for family photo shoots, I could see a couple of cute kids posed on it it standing beside it. It was a happy place fir us to explore. Thanks fir touring the country with us!

  1. WanderingCanadians

    Pebble Hall Wildflowers sounds (and looks) absolutely charming. I’ve never heard of a pick-your-own bouquet of wildflowers before. How adorable. Farms provide such fantastic photo ops.

  2. gallivance.net

    What a wonderful find, Rusha! We’ve been through Staunton a million times and never knew about this place. Your photos really capture the beauty and serenity of the place. And the museum reminds me of a Cabinet of Curiosities – one of my favorite things! 🙂 ~Terri

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      That museum was a cabinet of curiosities!!! Bones, skulls, pelts. Almost a bit creepy. But science nonetheless. This is not a highly advertised nor commercial endeavor for this couple, so it may not have even been open when you passed through previously. We’re just glad to have seen it.

  3. Ohana and Friends Travel

    What a beautiful American treasure. With all that is going on in the news right now, this place sounds like heaven and reminds me of how awesome the people of the the US are. It is easy to forget that right now. I have made a note and added it to my “see some day” travel bucket list. Thank you for making me aware of this treasure.

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      There’s nothing pretentious about this place. It’s aging. It’s simple. But that is all part of the charm to me. The couple us thinking if renting a room/ suite like an AirBnB rental. Wouldn’t that be a good little treat for a night or two?

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