I'd argue a LHT is overkill for above needs and furthermore would be a dog on the "weekly or twice weekly 30-50 mile local rides"

Having a LHT like bike, Novara Randonee and a Salsa Vaya I can say the Randonee is only ridden when I carry heavy loads, i.e. carrying my gear and lightening the load for the wife and kids. It handles heavy well but isn't much fun otherwise. Right now my riding habits are like yours except my daily commute is your item 2 and I exclusively use a Salsa Vaya for the task as it is far more fun to ride than the Randonee. If I were starting over I would still consider the Vaya but would look at the plethora of other bikes that have come to market in recent times that also fit the bill... Niner RLT 9, Specialized Sequoia, Kona Rove etc.... The "adventure" bikes, in my opinion, are much better all around bikes. They don't quite excel at any one type of riding but are great for multi use riding...

Below is a picture of my Vaya from this past weekends ~150 mi ride from Pgh to Cumberland. As seen would be my typical packout for pretty much any unsupported stateside tour. The only reason I'd consider rear panniers is to carry food.