I'm fairly new to biking and I'm currently considering a few different bikes for an upgrade (from the piece of junk mountain bike I've been riding since my first year of college). I enjoy longer rides, especially on bike paths. I've also used my bike for commuting and grocery shopping and expect that to increase. Eventually I'd also like to start touring. So here's my question:

Which type of handlebars? I'm confused by conflicting information telling me that curled road handlebars are better for long distances, but many touring bikes have straight bars? I'm currently looking at the Terry Symmetry or Classic as options (I'm 5' tall). The Symmetry has the road handlebars, but the Classic has the wider tires and is advertised as a touring-inclided road bike. Any suggestions/comments would be great.

Thanks