B&L Bikes and Ken's Ski and Bike (both in Davis) have Fuji and Bianchi touring bikes in stock. There is a cool touring bike at B&L that we were both admiring Saturday that is well within your price range, but I think it was a Jamis. Looked like a great set up.

OK, here's is my humble opinion on the freewheel. I love Mercians. I's got one. I would consider the frame excellent for touring (pretty similar to many of the Rivendell family memebers). However, you can't put a cassette on a freewheel hub. You have to swap out the back wheel so you have freehub. Then, you start to get into making sure the whole drivetrain is compatible. If you stick with the freewheel it will be a challenge to obtain parts for the bike. I didn't look at the link but I, personally, would only invest in such a bike for commuter purposes not for long distance with back of beyond repair and parts availability issues. A bike with a freewheel drivetrain is sort of like buying a vintage car or one with high mileage. You have to be willing to tinker and know your "stuff" when it comes to replacing parts.

I'll go look at the links and see if I have anything more to add or if I should just offer up a "Oops, nevermind."