KennyD you don't need to spend $2,000 on a scope. You can buy a very good 10-inch Dob for less than $600. Check out the Orion site for the SkyQuest XT10 Classic, or check out the Sky-Watcher site.

I have the Orion XT-10 (although now mounted on an EQ mount that cost almost 3x the price of the scope) and can say that it has provided some very good viewing. Obviously the more doo-dads that you add the more expensive it gets. The best investment - after the scope - is in quality eyepieces.

Here's a review of the XT-10 by a member of an astronomy club:

http://www.novac.com/resources/reviews/xt10.php