To close the loop on this thread, I ended up with a 2006 Jamis Quest. It arrived last week. I got it mostly ready, but did not want to bring it to the beach last week because I wanted to take a long ride and didn't have time to get the setup right. I haven't been able to ride it this week because my parents have been visiting. Now they've left and the roads are wet from on and off rain. I could probably get in a ride, but don't want to get my shiny new bike grungy on the first ride.

Here's a pic of my old ride, a 1992 Trek 1200:


Steel is real:


And the new ride: