A photography camera for beginners?

I'm thinking about buying a decent camera, I go hiking alot, skiing, traveling etc. I take decent photos on my phone but I want better quality not looking for anything fancy like a 900$ Nikon but something for beginners that takes great quality pictures and easy to use… Thank you

Buyers guide - http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/simple-and-easy-Digital-Cameras.cfm

I have this camera: http://www.amazon.com/...0043DKBTK/

It is very nice and I love it, highly recommend it!