After all my research, and much of the info came from this post, I bought an M2S, 750w, hub drive, 19,2 aH. It arrived in a few days. M2S is based in Asheville. The Himiway, Radbike, and Aventure were also in the running.
From what I could tell, they (midrange $1500-$2000) are all very similar. Baofang motor, hub drive, Shimano derailers, and 160-180mm disc brakes. The lower end of that price range has mechanical brakes and lower end Shimanos, and no fenders or racks. The upper end of that price range gets hydraulic brakes, higher end Shimanos, fenders, and a rack.
It took less than an hour to assemble, and the battery was charged enough I could take it out for a few miles. There are some very steep hills in my neighborhood so I tested the bike's capability to climb them. I'm about 180 pounds and the bike needed some pedal assist from me, not much though. Some comments I read said if you were expecting these to be like a dirt bike, you'd be disappointed. Based on that, it was what I expected.
I rode several miles, changing gears, testing different pedal assist modes, and just getting a good feel for the bike. I haven't had it on gravel roads or trails yet, but based on the online videos, it should do fine.
Can't wait to get it out and check my mountain trail cams. Based on the several miles I rode it, I think it's gonna be the ticket!