I'm 59 and looking to return to cycling, primarily for fitness. The area I live is the Thousand Islands of New York State. That means mostly flat, and my preference will be for riding on local gravel trails and roads, as our roads are not really bike-friendly, despite being a touristic region. Let's say a combination of gravel and paved roads (Wolfe Island is a ferry ride away and has paved/gravel routes, and the Canadian side has a paved bike path between Gan and Brockville). I'd also like to use the bike as a platform for birding and photography.

I've visited my LBS, and am considering these three KHS models (I tried to put in links but haven't met the 10 post threshold yet):

Ultrasport 2.0
Alite 50
Grit 110

I cycled quite a bit 35-40 years ago (hybrid and MTB). I do have a 2002 Kona Lavadome, but it would probably need to be completely overhauled or rebuilt to be usable.

I am interested in hearing opinions of these bikes or alternatives for my anticipated riding.

Thanks!
Dan