I went with Nikon over Canon because the body just felt better, I think this is probably most important, the feel. Canon's are supposed to have a little faster focusing ability while Nikon is better at color rendering, this is why you see mostly Canons at sporting events and Nikons with the nature guys. Also most professional photographers will use Canon and most normal hobbyists use Nikon.
You're looking at some pretty nice bodies, so if it's in your budget definitely check out the D700 as it's basically the D3 but smaller. Next I would say the D300 and then D90. The D90 is really nice if you want the video feature otherwise go with the D300 which has the aluminum body and extra shortcut keys.
Since you're looking at good bodies I would skip the 18-200, this is a good lens for those who do not want to switch out lenses but you sacrifice quite a bit by using it, things like sharpness and speed. The focusing is also kind of sluggish. You'd be better off spending the same money on a couple lenses instead like a 18-70mm and the 70-300mm VR. If you've got extra money you could go with an even better combo like the 16-85mm and 80-200mm. Next you can get yourself a couple prime lenses like the 50mm for portraits and aquarium, and the 105mm for macro.
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