1) Hit several bike shops. Try and find out ahead of time if they have expertise in touring. Most shops don't. Harris does. My favorite shop in the Greater Boston area is Belmont Wheelworks. They don't do much in the way of touring bikes, but
they are very knowledgeable and the place is huge.

2) A lot of women need a short top tube. The LHT has a longish top tube.
May be why the guy tried to steer you away from it. Other than that it is a lot of bike for the buck.

3) There are 3 kinds of touring. One is supported trips. They are expensive, but it's nice to have someone else take care of the luggage. Then there is credit card touring. This is what I do now. You carry clothes, a repair kit, a book. I weigh the panniers and set a 20 pound limit for most trips. Then, of course, there is loaded touring.

4) I used to bring a tent. But it's nice knowing there's a comfy bed, a shower, and a hot meal waiting. Not to mention carrying 20 pounds less.

5) Between touring and performance bikes are sport bikes. My bike is a Gunnar Sport. It can take a rack, but it's not as heavy or slow as a touring
bike. I commute with it, and it is a great 'all around' bike.