Welcome to
Wild Texas! You've already received terrific advice that will stand you in good stead.
For detailed, useful reviews of ALL price ranges of digital cameras, from relatively inexpensive point and shoot cameras to professional grade cameras, I always recommend visiting
DPReview.com. Don't be put off by the "fancy" looking 35mm digital cameras on the home page -- you can browse all price ranges of cameras from all the manufacturers just by checking the site -- for example, digital cameras by
Canon (which Justin and I swear by and highly recommend.) There are detailed reviews as well as photo comparisons and specification sheets (if you are looking for a particular feature, such as the ability to take short videos or use a certain type of memory card.)
In addition to our pro cameras, which cost an arm and a leg, Justin and I both have a couple point and shoot cameras -- two by Canon and one by Fuji. They take terrific photos for their cost and size, and I always remind people of this one simple fact -->
The BEST camera is the one you have WITH you at a given moment. The most high tech, expensive, pro quality camera won't do you a bit of good if you don't have it with you when that perfect photo appears.... it's going to be whatever you have on hand that saves the day and captures that memory!
Don't get caught up on megapixels. These days even the relatively inexpensive digital cameras offer impressive resolution, making prints up to 8"x10" a reality without any hassle.