Thanks for the feedback. I really wanted to shop locally to support my hometown area and for the convenience of having a bike mechanic nearby in case of problems, adjustment, etc. All the personnel in the 3 shops were polite and gave me some help but the bikes they tried to steer me toward were just not comfortable or what I had in mind. At the entry level, most of the hybrids/comfort bikes have suspensions forks which I don't think I need or want. I tried a Trek Navigator which felt too squished even though it was a 17" ladies. I'm 5'5", normal weight with a normal inseam (30") for a woman. My husband has an inseam of 30" and is 5'11", so I think my upper body length is normal for a woman too.
Maybe I'm looking at the wrong type of bikes or wrong kind of geometry. I thought a cruiser would suit me for slow pedaling and longer body so that I could sit up straight. I have trouble bending my neck up for any length of time since I fell down a flight of icy stairs.
Of the 3 bike shops, one features Giant, one has Trek, the other has a mix of Gary Fisher, Specialized, Sun, Breezer, etc. If I had more cash, the Breezers look the best to me but they start at $600 and up.