Most of the trails that I've been looking into here are asphalt, some say dirt/grass/gravel. I don't believe they're really mountain biking trails but I would stick with the beginner trails anyway for now. Do you think a road bike would be good for my purposes? There's a bike shop close to me that I went into about a month ago to look and get a good idea on what I wanted, but they were adamant on selling me some $800 bike that I probably didn't need. I don't really have $800 to blow right now, and I'm not too sure that's the going rate for what I need... There's so much conflicting information, I guess because it's mostly a matter of opinion, on what brands are best and all of that. Thanks for your reply!
Do not spend $800 on a bike you aren't sure about. I'd say find a different bike shop if you can, you should be able to find a perfectly good bike for you for less than $250. Check for used bike stores, as these will be cheaper, and will likely be willing to help customize the bike some too. And yeah, go with either a road bike or a touring bike, if you want to use it for grocery runs and the like.