I would personally look at a cyclocross bike, it is a true jack of all trades.. Good for road riding, can be used as a cross bike (offroad) and many people use them for light to full touring.. Your price range you will be looking for a used one. I found my Surly Crosscheck on Craigslist for $600.00, outfitted will mostly Ultegra parts.. The Surlys are unique that they have a 132.5 wheel spacing which allows you to use road specific 130mm wheels or you can build more robust 135mm wheelset with MTB hubsets..

The bike is surprisingly responsive for a cross bike, granted not as nimble as my litespeed but very good for a 21 lb road bike.. If you go this route make sure to get the right size, the rule of thumb is to buy one size smaller than your standard road bike.. I ride a 60cm road bike and a 58cm crosscheck is a perfect fit..

http://surlybikes.com/crosscheck.html