I hope I am not too late here!

In terms of a point and shoot or something cheap you can kinda throw around, there are plenty of choices. What is great is that nowadays most point and shoots can take great pictures, and it is really up to your skill rather then how much money your camera is. Two consistently solid lines are the

Canon Powershot: http://www.cameta.com/Canon-PowerSho...ange-40902.cfm

Nikon Coolpix: http://www.cameta.com/Nikon-Coolpix-...lack-43249.cfm

Both are feature laden, sturdy and come in various priced varieties from $100 to $300