Personally I don't get why you'd prefer the "touring" bike feel. Since I discovered the joy of ultralight gear, I'd try to avoid that even for real loaded touring if I were ever to actually ever carry a heavy load again. That said there are a number of traditional touring bikes that fit your price range. The Fuji comes to mind as do the Fuji clones (I assume Bikes Direct still has one for a reasonable price).
That said would you maybe consider one of the newer gravel bikes. They would be plenty functional and versatile, touring capable, and fun to ride. Something like the Cannondale Topstone Disc SE with 105 level components could fit in that price range if you look around for price on 2019 models. You could go cheaper with lesser components.
That does assume you would be willing to go without traditional front racks. You could use a handle bar bag or a large bar roll though so you could balance out a medium load pretty well. If you insist on really heavy touring it may not work out well unless you are a trailer user, but personally I am happy with light loads on extended camping and cooking trips of any length and would maybe even go rack-less front and back at least on some trips.