Salsa is on my radar but the Vaya is outside my budget. Ideally, I want to keep it around the $800-1000 mark though I might go a little higher.

I did visit the LBS this weekend and got some schooling. Those gravel bikes are nice, and the Salsa Journeyman has several offerings in that price range. Next Saturday I'm hoping to go to Fayetteville and try a couple firsthand. I have never ridden anything with those 'drop' bars and want to see what they are like. I'm kinda thinking they might be better on my hands than a flat bar. That said, the mechanic at the LBS was saying that a dual sport might be a better choice since I don't plan on doing high miles at one shot.