I'd like to do some high level language programming on the PIC. Am I
    better off using C or BASIC? I have no prior C experience but did some
    BASIC programming on a Commodore 64 15 years ago.

C will look better on your resume...

Seriously, the PIC basics are so specialized for embedded applications
that they're not a lot more "transportable" to other architectures and
other basics, while the C compilers are closer to something that could
be called "standard."  On a PIC, you (probably) won't get to the
complexities of the languages that usually fuel flame wars.

That said, there's a lot to be said for the parallax basic-stamp type
of system.  Not so much because it's BASIC, but because the whole
"in circuit programmable, host based compiler, eeprom" scheme of
things lets you turn around application changes VERY quickly.

BillW