Well shoot!!! There's no way I could sit long enough for a bus trip. I thought maybe that I could recline on a rail trip. I couldn't even stand a auto trip as I did just two years ago when I visited you. The trip I took that same year by air caused me so much pain that I knew it would be my last.
They would not let you take Izzy along, even if you could ride that far, Ina. Neither the bus nor the train allows any kind of pets. You could come as far as Birmingham on the train; but our old car does not run well enough for us to drive that far to come and get you once you got there. I think it is just not a doable thing, for both of those reasons.
Yes they do @Ina I. Wonder and you can sign up for their points program too, where you get points for every time you travel on the train and can use those points (when you have enough) for free train rides. Also, if you book your train ride early enough there is more savings with saver fares. I have always found my tickets to Texas and back home very reasonable.
Especially if I stay with you. Closest for me would be Vancouver I think and it's still out of my budget with airfare and hotel...I'm guessing. Edit: I did look up airfare and that's less than I thought to Vancouver. Also Toronto is cheaper than I expected also but to fly to my son in the Midwest is more than to fly to Toronto. Seems fares a little lower now than usual...
Actually, I remember reading something about the train allowing some pets now or considering it. I'll have to do a little research on this and add it to this post when I find it.
According to this article, Amtrak does allow pets up to 20 lbs, and in a pet carrier, just like the airlines do. It also mentions that service dogs were allowed; so Izzy would qualify under that any way. It looks like it all needs to be confirmed before the trip, especially when there are connections, or the person is staying in a hotel that might not allow pets. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2016/03/18/amtrak-pets-animals/81922766/
I knew I had read something about this. I think it was in a news magazine that was in the Amtrak station in Houston or maybe even in the pocket next to my seat on the train on one of my trips to Texas.