with a motorized mount it allows for watching distance objects without the bother of constantly moving the telescope to track them because of the motion of the earth. And vital if you are doing photography. It really depends on just how serious you get into it. I would even advise getting the computerized models that can go straight to the object you program into it. Some tiny objects are sometimes very hard to locate.
So many choices, so little time!
And, I might add, the night sky in the southwest offers some of the best stargazing around.
I've spent a lot of time in Santa Fe and it is hard to top looking at the night sky there!
Flagstaff is also a great place for stargazing!