Staritng to plan my PCD with a trip back to Philadelphia - suggestions welcome!

I don't have a confirmation yet but according to my CA I should be getting the car in early March and after doing extensive research over here (reading other posters' stories, PCD wiki, etc.) I am definitely in for a PCD!

I will be driving the car back to Philly and I would love to hear from others, especially those who did a similar drive back somewhere to East Coast NJ/NY/PA area. Mainly looking for tips about best roads to take, most scenic drives on the way, nicest towns/cities to visit. Any comments/suggestions are appreciated as I am in very early stages of planning.

From other posts here I already know a typical delivery day ends at around 3:30pm. My plan is to drive for about three/four hours, stay somewhere overnight and drive the rest of the way the next day. I won't be rushing back home, I want to take my time and see as much as possible on the way.

So excited for the whole experience!

The blue ridge parkway is available if you drive north to Ashville. It will take you up into Virginia. The speed limit is 45mph or less so it is not the quick way. It is a very scenic route with lots of stopping for pictures opportunities. At near 45 mph it is not a challenging drive at all. There are turns but they are gradual. If you google "blue ridge parkway" you can get a free map with recommendations of places to stop along the way. If you have more time, you could go south in North Carolina a bit to the "tail of the dragon". It's a much more fun drive but quite short. There are scenic and fun to drive roads you can take on the way there. And you can pick up the south end of the BRP close to the tail of the dragon. Googling "tail of the dragon" will get you more information including a free map of the scenic roads in North Carolina.

If it fits your schedule, I stayed at the Osceola Mill B&B and really enjoyed it. It is an old converted mill with about 6 nice rooms and a restaurant on the first floor. It's less than 5 miles off the BRP and the road that takes you there starts out as a bit of a drivers road. It's hard to get to the speed limit and stay on the road, in other words.

Great suggestions, thanks so much! I was hoping for something exactly like this!

If the weather is decent, consider driving the "Tail of the Dragon". It starts in western NC and heads into Tennessee. A bit of a detour but well worth it if the weather cooperates. You can then head east and pick up the parkway around Asheville. The parkway continues north as Skyline Drive and terminates in Front Royal, VA. You can then hop on US 11N and continue north paralleling I81 into PA where you can either take the PA turnpike to Philly or perhaps drive the Lincoln Highway, US30, if you want to see a bit of Americana as it passes through many towns and small cities between Chambersburg and the suburbs of Philly.

I'm doing a similar trip (Lehigh valley) in ~July. I'm planning on going north to Asheville, hitting the blue ridge parkway and staying the night in Roanoke. From there traveling the remainder of the parkway and then picking up highway 81 N.