I'm definitely not suggesting they get top-end bikes, but something more middle of the road.
Box store bikes will be unsatisfactory for pretty much anyone from the get-go -- I've worked on a number of them for friends who didn't do much research before buying and lucky for them they were young and full of vim and vigor so it didn't get them down, but most expect a gear shift to actually do the thing (and then stay in the right gear) etc... this can quickly become a problem that sours them to bicycling before they get a chance to give it a good go.
Ning, just to clarify, since I'm the OP (and I really could/should have included this initially), we already have some old box store mountain bikes in our basement. And you're right, it's the small things like switching gears, making adjustments to seats, handle bars, etc. that we'd like to move past. There's nothing worse than switching gears and then bearing down on the peddle only to have it skip back and forth between gears - uggghhhhh... So, yeah, you're spot on in that we're aiming for something middle of the road. As another poster pointed out, a lot of people probably THINK they are going to be in it for the long haul, but try it and find it's really not for them. I think that's an excellent point and want to be cognizant of that as well. Again, I appreciate all of the info from all of you experienced guys.
As another poster pointed out as well, it's very clear that there are endless points of view on all the various aspects of this subject.
So where am I at this point? I feel like I've learned a TON from all the input that's been thrown out here. I've browsed the site you provided (bikesdirect.com) and I still have not ruled that out even though I did visit a Trek store yesterday. I don't feel beholden to them even though the guy I talked to there was very patient with me and shared a lot of knowledge. I think I've settled on going with something like a Hybrid though a friend did recommend maybe starting with what he called a gravel bike. I did a little research on the differences and there doesn't really seem to be a lot of difference. Gravel seems to be built more for going off road a bit more than hybrid, so a little lighter, more expensive, etc. I did not find a tab on the site for gravel, but there were some instances of gravel under the hybrid tab. I noticed that they do have suggestions AND help for sizing. They show you how to measure inseam and so forth. You can provide that info to them via Email and they provide support that way.
At this point, I'm taking my time, listening to what others have to say, reading some and being patient. Again though, I've learned a lot in the last two days and do appreciate ALL the advice given here.