I like the idea of a Cross bike for you as well but I have to say a bike like the Specialized Sirrus (or Trek FX etc) may be a great option.
I use my Sirrus for commuting and you can have size 32 tires so if you slip of the path you'll be good to go plus the more upright position and flat handle bar does the trick. And I believe that they start at about $450 (up to over $1000 of course!)
http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bikes/multiuse/sirrus