If I were going to be doing lots of beautiful landscapes, and wanted to maybe even decorate my walls, or those of others with my pics, I would NOT recomend a bridge camera. The sensor on a bridge camera is very small compared to a DSLR, and the minute details of landscape get soft very quickly, especially if you crop at all, which you HAVE to crop to produce, say an 8 x10 print.
Someone mentioned that a Canon 70d was in your price range. If that is so, I highly recomend you get the 70d. No DSLR is hard to learn. If you start of on Auto, it's no different than a bridge or P&S, then venture out as you learn.
The camera is better, and the lenses are better, and most DSLR's have more megapixels as well.


And should you want to go to the next level in a few years, the 70 will be worth a higher percentage of the purchase price, should you want to move into a Full-Frame. If the 70 is Too expensive, get the best Rebel kit you can afford.
Gail, you can always go backwards!! Gail, I have award winning shots taken with a P&S, and God do I wish I had taken them with a DSLR!! Live and learn!
Good luck with your pursuit of happyness and liberation in shooting, and again, Welcome. ;-)
SS