Saddle for long rail trails, streets and dirt paths
The kind of biking you do is exactly the kind of biking I do. I was once a devotee of the Cult of Saddle Cushioning as well.

I was wrong. Painfully, chafingly so. Ow.

You don't want the gel. You don't want lots of cushioning. What you probably do want is springs (saddle suspension) and perhaps something a bit wider in back than your typical Lycra Laddish roadie thing. You may also want to invest in bike shorts with a good chamois. You definitely want to invest in a decent skin-lubricating cream (hunt around here; several posts on that).

I splurged on a Brooks leather saddle for my tourer, and while I'm still breaking it in, I can already tell it's a much better ride than the cushion-packed saddle I replaced. If Brooks is too pricey, but you still want leather, Velo-Orange has some less-expensive ones (though caveat emptor: I've seen some poor reviews).