I hear ya. Crowded trails & paths can take a lot of fun out of things. My favorite spots are definitely the more remote ones, which of course means a drive to get there. I have a lot of options if I'm willing to drive an hour fifteen, which is farther than I'd rather deal with, but small price for adventure I guess.
This really hurt to read. I had a minor, very low speed crash with a car a few years ago. Shook me pretty good nonetheless. Finally got my full road confidence back a few months ago, but then two weekends ago I was blindsided by a pickup truck. Lucky for me I'm alive to ride another day; it's just a matter of how far away that day is. And it will not be on the road.
On a more positive note, I opted for the State Bicycle Co. 6061 Black Label All-Road. I'm all about ballin' on a budget when it comes to bikes and the State looks like a winner. I went with their option to get a set of 650b as well as 700c wheel sets. Hopefully I'll be rolling and getting dirty this summer.