Future trip to Furry Mecca?

I did a cost estimate tonight for a possible trip to Anthrocon in a future year. I was hoping taking Amtrak would be cheaper than driving to Pittsburgh since the train would get there in two days vs. three days of driving. I don't want to fly with my fursuit yet since I don't have a secure travel case for it, and I'm paranoid about parts of my suit getting lost or damaged. I really don't want to take Greyhound for a trip that long. Greyhound stations don't offer showers for passengers, and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to get enough sleep while on the bus.

The current estimates I made for the total vacation, including the Anthrocon hotel, motels along the route and food/drinks each day came to around $3,100 for driving and around $4,100 for taking Amtrak. (I tend to overestimate certain costs, but I like to prepare for things like inflation and higher gas prices.) There is a furry couple from Colorado Springs who volunteer at Anthrocon, but I don't know if they'd have room for me to ride with them to save some money. I thought about making the drive in two days each way, but I don't think my body would like that very much since it would be around 11 hours of driving per day (12-13 hours including meal, gas and rest stops.)

I'll turn 55 in 2026, so maybe I can use some senior discounts to lower the cost then!