Jimmy Pritt :
7. I'm not too sure what you mean by this

, however I plan on doing more photos of things like the lake near by, and the neighboring wooded area.
I meant did you want a camera you can just point and shoot with, or did you plan to fiddle with a lot of settings until the photo was "just right"? Based on your other responses, it sounds like the latter.
Aside from weight considerations, it sounds like you really do want a DSLR. The important thing to understand about DSLRs is that you're not buying a camera. You're buying a lens system. There are multiple competing systems, with Canon and Nikon being the two big ones. I'm personally on Canon, but I think as of the last 5 years Nikon has surpassed Canon and my recommendation to newcomers has been to get Nikon. From what I understand, Canon's user interface is better. Their AF lenses used to be better than Nikon's, but they're pretty much the same now. And Nikon packs a lot more features per dollar into their bodies. Hence the recommendation for Nikon. But take some time to explore the different systems (Canon, Nikon, Four-thirds, Sony) before deciding which to get.
As you're just starting out, the usual recommendation is for a 35mm or 50mm fixed focus lens and a wide-range zoom (like 18-140mm). Since you say your interest is more landscapes, the 35mm is probably better (actually 24mm would be, but that's rather expensive). The 50mm is more suited for portraiture, and just barely at that. The fixed lens is usually fast - f/1.8 or f/2.8, so will double as a low-light lens. It'll also provide high image quality when you need it. The zoom will give you both wide angle and telephoto, and allow you to explore different types of photography so you can better decide what you like to do. If after a year you notice that 90% of your photos are shot at 100-140mm, then you know your next lens should be a telephoto. If you notice 90% of them are 18-35mm, then you know you want a wide angle. The 18-55 and 55-200 combo would work too, but for the first lens I think splitting your zoom range into two is a mistake. You'll probably come to hate switching lenses like I have, and want to just buy a second body. LOL
Why haven't I talked about the body yet? Because when you get a DSLR, you're buying into a lens system. The body is secondary. It will be obsolete in 5 years and you're going to replace it anyway. The lenses you'll probably keep using for 15-30 years. So the choice of body isn't as important as the choice of lenses. Pick which lenses you want first, then with your remaining budget buy the best body you can afford. (Nikon and Canon frequently run sales, combo deals, and rebates. So if you're in the U.S. I recommend monitoring a deal site like slickdeals and wait for a good deal before buying.)
To help select lenses, I like these sites for lens reviews. They're a bit technical so may not suit you - there are plenty of other review sites:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/
http://www.photozone.de/
I like this site for body reviews, though again there are plenty of other good ones:
https://www.dpreview.com/
As a landscape photographer, you will probably eventually want to get a full frame body (sensor is the same size as old 35mm film). The higher resolution sensors are usually full frame, and will allow you to shoot landscapes with a lot of detail which can be enlarged a lot. Most modern bodies use APS-C sized sensors, about 65% the size of full frame. This reduces your field of view (makes lens focal lengths seem 1.5x longer), but reduces cost considerably. Since this is your first body, stick with the smaller sensor (the full frame bodies are out of your price range anyway). Just be mindful that there are two lines of lenses - ones designed for full frame (FX on Nikon, EF on Canon), and ones designed for APS-C sized sensors (DX on Nikon, EF-S on Canon). Full frame lenses can be used across both size DSLRs, APS-C lenses cannot be used on full frame bodies. So keep that in mind as you build up your lens collection.