Thanks to you for your compliments!!!
I did take photography courses in high school (I'm 35 now), and I actually
failed them

. It seems I couldn't focus to save myself

.
I'm using a Canon S-90, which is an older model that I actually just bought before this trip after returning a newer model (the SD-1400IS) that really didn't live up to the reviews it got.
The S-90 has everything from full auto mode to almost completely manual mode and a lot of in-between. It also has a pretty good lens and a larger sensor, so it's great for someone who wants a little more than just "point and shoot" which is very handy for getting nighttime photos. Well, that and a pocket sized tripod. I did do a good bit of reading into the different settings on the camera and how to make it do what I want in the week before we left.
Thank you so much for reading and enjoying. I hope to post more tonight!