Because of traffic volume and stop/go because of accidents, I used to travel from central PA to Melbourne FL by way of Charlotte and Columbia using I-26 back to I-95.
My last trip north took about 17 hours to Harrisburg.
The Shenandoah Valley is bound to be more colorful than the I-95 corridor.

VA's 29 or 81 are pretty drives. We went that way from the Dulles Airport area of Virginia on a drive to Myrtle Beach. We spent the night in Greensboro, NC on the way down and headed east from there. Supposedly that route would take an hour longer than going down 95, but considering potential travel delays on 95 we thought it was worth it. It would be a good route for viewing fall foliage.