Alright, we've got a big trip planned and I need some advice from you seasoned east-coasters. We're moving from Brooklyn, NY to Portland, OR, and being young(ish) and crazy, we've bought a little Toyota Dolphin RV to transport us. We leave the city Nov. 1 and plan to make our way to the Florida Keys, then back up the Gulf to New Orleans, then likely the southern route across Texas and the southwest, with hopefully a spur up to the Grand Canyon and then over to California and up the Pacific Coast. I've traveled California and the Pacific Northwest extensively, but the east is still a bit of a mystery. We're giving ourselves at least a month for the trip, our departure date is static, our arrival is flexible (unless we run out of money...). I realize that this is not the ideal time of year to be traveling, but it's what we've got and I'm hoping we'll be spared most of the crazy winter weather if we're to the west coast by late November.
So, my big question right now is whether we should head to Florida via the smaller highways along the Atlantic coast, (hitting Cape May, NJ, Chincoteague, Outer Banks, NC, Charleston, etc.) or travel inland to see Shenandoah Nat'l Park, Skyline Drive, and then the Blue Ridge Parkway to Ashville and head east to the coast from there and then south. We're more interested in scenery and being outdoors than cities, museums, or civil war history, and we want to hike, bike, meet interesting people, and surround ourselves with nature as much as possible. We're also musicians, so old time music's roots are an allure. My main concern is the time of year we're traveling, and the fact that we're traveling in basically a loaded-down 4-cylinder Toyota truck that may not handle snowy mountains too well (that's why we're going so far out of our way to get to Portland). Anyone out there live in Virginia/North Carolina and want to weigh in on where we'll get the most scenic bang for our buck in early November? Beach, or mountains? Will the mountains be shrouded in fog or snow and be bereft of leaves anyway?
Also, yes, we have roadside assistance, and yes, the vehicle is in great running condition.
: )

Thoughts and suggestions are most appreciated!
Thanks!