Thanks for the advice so far. For what it's worth I am 5 feet 6.5 inches tall and 150 pounds. When I bought my road bike the dealer said that due to my long legs and short torso I was a perfect candidate for a women's frame (in fact he said that was really the only way to go). I bought a WSD road bike and it seems to work fine.
http://2006.lemondbikes.com/2006_bik...s_womens.shtml WSD bikes have shorter top tubes, women's saddles (so if you like it you don't automatically have to buy a new one), and the handlebars are designed for smaller hands. Actually, a touring bike will be a few years down the road for me but it surprises me that more companies don't make WSD bikes. When I can afford a touring bike I will of course go out and test ride several models.