I do most of my shooting with a Canon 60D but when I am on vacation and don't want to carry a bulky DSLR, I always have a P&S pocket size camera with me. I have found that most of the P&S cameras do a pretty nice job but the one thing no one has mentioned yet is that there are a couple of WATERPROOF P&S cameras and I bought one of the original Pentax Optio cameras that is good down to 6 feet below the surface. It is not a camera for scuba diving or even serious snorkling but it does great for taking pictures in a damp or wet environment.
It also helps for keeping out dust or sand. Check out the attached photo and see if you would want to take it with a camera that was not water resistant!

You can't beat a tripod but travelling with one can be a chore. Adorama sells a bean bag type of rest that has a threaded attachment for your camera that is much easier to carry and not as much of a problem at crowded tourist sites. Use your camera's self timer to release the shutter (the two second delay works great) Set the camera on AV f5.6 or 8.0). manually focus, use the self timer and then check the results. If it is too dark, use the exposure compensation to lighten it up 1/2 stop at a time. As long as the camera and bean bag are on a solid rest, you will be amazed at the results you will get. I have taken photos of the mountains behind my house with just starlight on them and it works great. Plan for some fairly long exposures (up to 30 seconds) so don't move the camera until the shutter closes. Use 100 ISO to keep the noise down. Good luck.

I was sure that Bridge has not been discontinued and I think you have the right idea about reinstalling CS5. Thanks for the help. Also, I have purchased Martin Evening's book and it looks like I will get a lot out of it.

I have a new copy of Photoshop CS5 and have run into a problem with the Mini-Bridge. I know that when you call up Mini-Bridge, the regular Bridge operates in the background. When I request Mini-Bridge, a get a message telling me to wait for Bridge but the "computer working" symbol never goes away and Mini-Bridge does not open. Bridge will launch fine but when it is requested by Mini-Bridge, it will not open. Any ideas?

I upgraded from the 50D to the 60D for the primary reason of having the articulated viewing screen. I have had both hips replaced and can no longer get down to have the proper perspective in a shot. (well, I can down but can't get back up) I love the 60D and for the type of photography I do, it should last me a long time. I don't believe you can go wrong with it.