My best photos have been taken by a Canon PowerShot A1000 IS. Towards the end of my 2 month backpacking trip the camera had reached the end of it's lifespan. I've bought the upgraded version for my next trip, the Canon Powershot SX50 HS, but it didn't take as nearly as good macro shots and it was missing something else that I just can't put my finger on. It did have a fairly impressive zoom but I find I don't use the zoom feature much. I prefer wide angle shots and macro.

So here's the question, when upgrading to a new camera, what should I get?

Things I need to consider. I travel a lot, and I need a camera I can travel with. I'm not opposed to a carrying bag for the camera itself, but I'd prefer not to. The best part about the PowerShot A1000 was that it could fit in my pocket. Well, the best part was that it ran on 2 AA batteries, I never had to worry about charging my camera while on the road. I backpack usually as well, so weight is always a factor.

My photo preferences; As I mentioned, I like macro and wide angle shots but I'd like to have cameras with long exposure times, to help capture smooth flowing rivers with that blanket look, and to capture all the details in an alleyway at 2 AM. I'd also like the ability to capture a romantic setting on the beach after sunset while still capturing all the stars in the sky.
Long exposure is what I'd like to start working on next. Quick exposure would be great as well, I do a bit of AutoX racing and would love to be able to capture the full motion of a car as it's taking a turn with no blur.

I was looking around on DA for a Forum I could post this but I didn't find one. Hopefully this will somehow capture people's attention, but if you're reading this, it's already captured yours.
Thanks for any advice.