Having both a northbound and southbound side off the I-5, the 24-hour Buttonwillow Rest Area provides easy on/off capabilities and modern bathrooms, along with grassy areas for pet relief. It opened concurrently with the interstate in the 1960's and was named for the nearby community (which was named after a historic buttonwillow tree, named a California landmark in 1952)
It's about 2.5 hours from Long Beach as one is passing Bakersfield, and became a convenient stop to take a break and change drivers. The lone building housed his/her washrooms, and a drinking fountain that also allowed water bottle fill-ups. read more
