Holy long paragraph batman!

To find out where the trails are, go to your LBS and ask them. They'll know.

In terms of what to get - this depends on your budget. You gave a range of what seemed like 200$ - 3000$. There's quite a bit of variation in there. If you come up with a specific budget, it'll be easier narrowing down what you should get.

A lot of people like Santa Cruz. I like Santa Cruz's Chameleon. It's in the upper end of your price range, but you won't be upset with it.