I've never really been in a place where I have used a tri pod but lately I have been wanting to try some different sort of stuff and figure it is probably one of those things I need to add to my bag of tricks. Anyone have any suggestions on mid ranged nice solid tripods that also compact enough to put in the bag with my light stands?

You can easily spend a grand on a tripod/head purchase. I don't use my tripod all that often, so I did not spend a grand, but I spent over $400. This is a purchase you want to make once. I went with Slik (I didn't need a mammoth Gitzo) and I love it. It's carbon-fiber (highly recommended to cut down on weight) and folds down to about 27" with the head attached. The model legs I got were the Slik 813 CF-II and the head is a Slik SBH-320 ballhead with no quick release plate. The combo can hold 10-15 pounds and is easy to use and more importantly, is very sturdy. There are a bazillion choices out there, but if you read the specs, you can find on that's right for you. Good luck!