wskish parent
To fully experience the night sky there is no substitute for getting up to altitude. Most of the atmosphere that really interferes with the view is way down low. Try a moonless night at 8000 to 11000 feet elevation in the eastern Sierra or Yosemite high country to really blow your mind. Boss level is a summit bivy during a new moon meteor shower with a close friend or lover.
See my post elsewhere here about Pine Mountain Observatory. It's not quite that high, but they have telescopes and knowledgeable staff to explain what you're looking at.
Steens Mountain summit is at 9,738′ and is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the darkest region. It's pretty awesome up there.