And because this trip is proposed for February, keep in mind that the Grapevine (the mountain pass that separates Southern California from the San Joaquin Valley) is at elevation 4100 feet and is often affected by snow/weather conditions. Plus, the term "tule fog" and the town name Tulare are related

IIRC, one could do the follwoing:

1. Nonstop bus from LAX to LA Union Station
2a. Nonstop Amtrak bus from LA Union Station to Bakersfield Amtrak station
2b. Connect to the waiting Amtrak train north to the destination (the Amtrak bus and train are on a single ticket).