Yup, that's the one!
Rocks will be easier to blow out and still allow for the drainage, rather than runoff. The hard part about rocks is keeping the weeds out. Make sure you put lots of weed-block!
Also, just thought about this. Setup all of your irrigation now! It will save you a lot later on. Even if you don't need it, a couple of runs of some main-line drip tube will save you a big headache later on down the road when you want to make changes.
Have you considered these for stepping stones?
Recycled Tire Paver You can space them out so they allow for drainage and they're recycled! EDIT: There's also these:
Permeable Pavers