I wouldn't let the hi-ten stays and relatively generic tubing throw you off. My best-riding, most enjoyable bike is a Miyata I got for free that is just double-butted chromoly with hi-ten stays and fork. Couldn't tell you why, but it just is.
As far as weight goes, think of it this way. A complete bike usually weighs between 25 and 30 pounds. A frame is typically around 1/8th the weight of the completed bike, a relatively small percentage. A one pound frame weight difference (considered to be a fairly significant difference) is going to be the difference between a 27 pound bile and a 28 pound bike -- not a big deal. The weight difference makes a fairly negligible impact on your average speed over distance as well, something like a 0.2 mile per hour reduction for 10 pounds difference if I recall correctly.
I think that would make a pretty ideal touring/rando build myself. At 35 pounds, my Schwinn High Plains is no lightweight but I've never once found that it "feels" heavy on the road.