Embarking on a trip from S FL to S CA with a friend. Want to hit the Bayou and canyon along the way. How long should I plan going 1 way and shipping the bike back.

Suggestions welcome, this is my first trip of this kind...

 

It depends on how fast you ride and how often you will stop.
I would say not more than 2 weeks.
Have fun!

 

In 2010 my wife and I drove from Albuquerque to Naples, FL in three hard days for a wedding.
We took a more leisurely trip back with 4 actual "on the road" days and a couple layovers.

I've ridden from Kingman, AZ almost on the California border to Albuquerque in a little over 8 hours
and in theory it's about 14-16 hours from Albuquerque to San Francisco.

So, figuring on a reasonable, but not frantic pace with stops for sites, I'd plan for about 10 days
one way. Obviously you can Kamikaze it faster, but 10 days sounds reasonable.

 

From where your at, you can be in New Orleans in two days. Two days in New Orleans, three days to to canyon, one day in the Canyon, and two days to LA. 10 days total.