I dont even know how to plan a cross country trip LOL

This may or may not help. I look at a direct trip in miles using Streets and Trips with all my speed and hours set up in it. Then I start adding and moving places around. Usually there is not much to see the first day or two out and back or you would have already been there. That gives you time to make up some time for elsewhere. A trip that long, I do the major sight seeing on the out leg if possible and make the return the shortest and quickest assuming you really need to go to CA.
Just some ideas.