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Don't forget about Olympus. Olympus makes a very good DSLR camera: the E-Volt. Currently I have a Canon Rebel XTi and an Olympus E-510, and I must say that I prefer my E-510 over my XTi. E-Volts are more affordable and generally come in a kit with a body and two lenses (generally a 14-42mm & 40-150mm lens with a standard f4.0-5.6 aperture). If you want to have a decent DSLR camera and want to save a little money too, I'd recommend Olympus. If you are SUPER serious about going into photography, a Nikon D60 with a 75-300mm & 28mm portrait lens w/ f2.8 aperture is recommended.

Olympus E-Volt Series

edit: That, and the fact that the brand of camera generally isn't important. The MOST expensive and critical part to photography falls into what type of lens you have to use (and quality is one large thing- as a 60mm-200mm telephoto lens can easily range from $599.99 to $3,499.99 depending on aperture, stability, filters, sturdy construction, materials, etc). The accessories/environment to collect balanced light that make photographs pop is also key. There's too much to describe about photography- it's difficult to break into detail. XP

Personally, I dislike using Nikons, but it appears that you are more interested in them.

I think that if you are going Nikon a D60 would be a good investment. I HIGHLY doubt you will need to purchase anything higher than a D80 (because unless you are working for some professional LA photography studio or a production set for movies, you wouldn't need something like the D700 or D3)

IF you want my honest opinion on what I would buy if I ever decided to go back to Nikon, I would get myself:
Nikon D90
Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 lens
Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens
Nikkor 105mm f/2 fixed lens
Speedlight SB600 external flash
Tripod, filters, accessories, etc.

Many amateur photographers (landscape, portrait, nature) use about the equivalent of a D80 and fixed lenses (like the 72mm/100mm/300mm/400mm/600mm) because unlike telephoto lenses that can zoom and sacrifice quality, fixed lenses can give higher image quality and allow larger apertures like f/1.2 and f/2.8.