IMO cross bikes are the best of all worlds... durability goes a long way on the road, too...
as for distance riding, I dont see why not, if you read some stuff in the touring forums, you will see that some riders are using them for loaded tours.
personally, I like the specialized tricross... there is one at my LBS (that just happens to be in my size...) that I have been drooling on for a couple of months now. I told him he needs to sell it to somebody else pronto or I am going to be in trouble at home...