Having done a recent near-cross country move, I have two pieces of advice:
Don’t make the trip with four cats loose (on leashes) in the cab of a small pick-up truck, and
Don’t under any circumstances stop in Oklahoma City for the night. I felt like I was in an urban remake of “The Hills Have Eyes”. (apologies to any Oklahoma City dopers who love it there)
Good luck - I wish I was moving back to California.
I really have nothing to add, I just wanted to make sure no one thought I was ignoring this thread. 
I AM jealous, though. <sigh>
lucie: I will take your advice under serious advisement. No cats in back of truck. Check. 
Nym my dear, Morphy, scratchie and I are throwing you in my trunk and dragging your lovely ass to Califlrnia whether you like it or not. I think you’ll like it. But if not, we always have Mashedpotatoes!
Shhh, Rasa! How are we gonna catch her by surprise!?
I’m waiting for May. Morphy can have me a job lined up by then. Plus he needs to get an apartment that takes dawgs. Five months to get things together, okay? These things take time. 
Good Luck Rasa! I never drove cross country, but I make the trip from Fall River to NYC about once a month (4 or more hours). One thing I can recommend for the trip is a few books on tape to listen too. Music is fine, but I find paying attention to a story helps pass the time a little better than music.
I am so jealous…I love San Francisco…can I come too? You can pick me up on the way
Have fun!
Rose
Ooo! A surprise! I like surprises. Oh wait. I spoiled it. 
And Nym, bah, who needs time? I just left SF and I’m on my way back!
Blue, I’ll wave when I drive by! I’d bring books on tape n’ stuff but I think oldscratch should provide more than enough entertainment for me. That is, if he comes with me after his comment about how much fun driving cross country in winter will be.
Rasa, you’ll love it here!
We moved here a year ago from Boston and couldn’t be happier. The people are so nice it’s sickening, the culture is diverse, the food is excellent, the weather is great. We never want to leave.
There is none of the puritanical old-school biases here. It’s lovely.
“You have a Harvard MBA? Well, that’s cool and everything, but what kind of stock options do you have? Have you ever worked in the real world?”
It’s just really nice here. Really.
And if you happen to get a to-die-for job in San Jose, you can live with me!
I moved across country (more or less), but I did it in two steps. First, I went from Kentucky to Nebraska. After 10 excruciating months there, I came to California. The trip from Nebraska to California was particularly pleasant, and not because I was abandoning HELL ON EARTH for the sun and surf. I sold all of my furniture, shipped my belongings by UPS in 23 boxes, and jumped in the car with my dad and headed west.