Nancy, there's nothing wrong with a "girls" bike--the kind without the top tube. These days they are generally referred to as Mixte (mix-tee) bikes. Zen is a Mixte expert (zencentury)

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is to get a bike that fits properly. The bikes in the shop in Knoxville that I would recommend looking at are:

Trek Navigator--no top tube. This will likely be too heavy for a New England Tour, and you may well be wanting something faster and lighter in a few months, but it might be a good place to start.

Trek Pilot--this would be fine for a New England Tour and would also be great for going to the grocery store. It might keep your interest longer than the Navigator.

You might also want to check around at some other shops. It's important to try out alot of different bikes to determine what you like and don't like in a bike.

Keep us posted and ask us questions!