Welcome to the forums, netloco!
The best advice I can probably give you, is to use the Text and Font dialog (Text menu), rather than the Text Tool control bar. The control bar doesn't work well for some reason (which I don't understand).
Yes, you can change the text into path (Path menu > Object to path). Here's the chapter on paths in the Inkscape manual, found in Help menu (or link in my signature):
http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths.htmlThat manual is pretty easy to follow, but if you need something more simplified, try the Quick Guide to Inkscape, that's in my signature.
And here's the chapter on text in the manual: