I would highly recommend a Digital SLR if you are prepared to spend some time learning principles of photography and/or digital camera use to an advanced level.
If not, just go for a Prosumer type camera. They are more than adequate to your level.
Go to this site:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm
The guy is good and cuts to the chase regarding cameras and techniques. He's not a retailer so he won't try to sell you on anything. Some articles are a bit dated and some he keeps up to dated.
Warning: he is biased toward Nikon, but for advice, I've found few better.
In particular 3 good links:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/2dig.htm - Which camera should you buy? (less of which model and more of why a specific model.)
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digicam.htm - Should you buy a digicam?
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm - The megapixel myth.
Konichiwaneko is right, but with DSLRs the beauty is that you have all the manual functions of traditional SLRs with which you can get creative, but no longer have to wait till your pics come back to check the results. You can practise a master technique and get it down pat within an hour or two.
The lower & midrange DSLRs also usually have a good programmed setting for foolproof photos anyway.