I can't even remember how long I've been looking for a tripod set-up, but I finally pulled the trigger today and bought both the legs and head from Really Right Stuff. It was a bit of a painful (and at times, stressful) process, but with a lot of help from people on this forum, I think I made the right decision. I'm hoping I can write a bit about my process and maybe help other POTN members save a bit of time. Here is a list of things that I looked at:
1) Budget
I have always used <$100 tripod/head combos and have consistently been unhappy. After doing a lot of reading, it became apparent that if I was to get a set-up that I would likely never have to replace, I would need to spend a LOT more than I had originally expected. My approach was more "How much do I have to spend to get X?" rather than "What can I get for $X?" so unfortunately, this post is only going to help you if you're at the point that you realize that your support is important and you are willing/able to spend $$$.
>$1,000. I'm going to put on my flame suit here, but if you really want a tripod set-up that will potentially last your lifetime AND you want cutting edge, this is how much you're going to need to spend. There's a good article somewhere that talks about how one person wasted thousands of dollars on crappy tripods before finally giving in and getting something that was worth over $1,000.
2) Legs
If you want the best, carbon fiber is it. I looked at several different brands, but in the end, everything seemed to point back to Gitzo. They are expensive, but it seems that this brand is the most recommended when price isn't an issue. There are several other brands that make carbon fiber legs, but it seems that Gitzo is the most recommended by those in the know. This is totally a subjective opinion as it only reflects what I could find out.
Are Gitzo CF legs overpriced? Probably. 
I ended up getting the Gitzo 3530S.
Many expensive legs don't come with a tripod head, so you'll need to get one.
Gitzo leg modelling numbers:
xxxx(x)
First number represents the series. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the thicker and heavier is the tubing (at least for their CF tripods).
Third number represents the number of sections in the legs
If there is an "s" at the end of a model number, it stands for "Systematic" which is their line of "modular" tripods.
3) Legs material
Carbon fiber is the lightest, but also the most expensive. If you've got the money, go straight for CF. In addition to being light, it is argued that CF has dampening properties.
4) Number of sections in the legs
For most full size tripods, it's either going to be 3 sections or 4 sections. Some people say that 4 sections are not as stable, but I've heard this debated. 4 sections collapses to a smaller size, but I went with three sections because I figured for my full-size tripod, I wanted as few sections as possible (because of stability and set-up speed).
If you're getting a Gitzo tripod, you'll notice that each model has 4 digits. The first digit is the series, and the 3 digit is the number of sections.
i.e. 3530 has three sections and the 3540 has four sections.
5) Head
Do a search on ballheads vs. 2-way (I think that's what they are called). I won't go into it here, but the short answer is that today (it may have been diffferent before), it seems ballheads are the most popular.
Arca-Swiss standard: There is a standard which I believe was created by Arca-Swiss. They are a series of quick release products that share the same "mating". If you're going to get a ballhead, then there were really only three major brands that I came across: Arca-Swiss, Really Right Stuff (aka RRS), Kirk Enterprises, Wimberley
RRS Heads:
They have three main models: BH-25, BH-40, BH-55. Each number in the model represents that diameter of the ball as measured in mm. Obviously, the bigger, the stronger and heavier. Even if you call RRS, they won't give you firm guidelines as to which head to use for which focal lengths. Generally, I've heard that the BH-40 is good for the 70-200mm lens, but not strong enough for the 100-400mm lens. I've heard different answers on this one even from RRS though. A good rule of thumb, I would say, is to get the BH-55 if you have or plan to have any lens with a focal length of 300mm or longer.
BH-55 PCL - This is RRS' panning head. It has two places where the vertical axis can be rotated. One is above and one is below the actual ball. After speaking to RRS, I opted to not get this head because RRS recommends that it not be used as a primary head, but rather, as a temporary head when specifically doing panoramic shots. The reason I was given is that it is a complicated product, meaning it can't take bangs in general useage. I take this to mean it's not as durable as the "normal" BH-55 without the top panning surface. RRS recommended to me that I only get the BH-55PCL if all I shot was panos. I opted for the BH-55LR (lever version) and might come back and get the panning kit after (this was mostly a cost-related decision).
6) Quick release plates
The only ones that seem to be compatible with all Arca-type clamps are RRS and Wimberley.
7) Lever vs. knob
You'll have to do a search on this, but there are tons of threads on this subject. I ended up getting the lever, but I'm still not 100% convinced that one is "better" than the other.
I'll do some reviews and pictures of the tripod and head when I get them.
