I'm going to 2nd the opinions on learning the night sky. With the help of star charts and assiduous looking, I'm beginning to piece it all out. Just in the last couple of weeks I've gotten Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, and Sagittarius.
Though I have not seen them yet with my scope, I know where to look for the North American Nebula, M13, M51, and the Ring Nebula.
There's a great feeling of accomplishment that comes from being able to go out in the dark, with no equipment whatsoever, and start making sense of the night.
And, yes, I agree that the binocular route is an excellent one. Don't be so sure, though, that the views through a scope will be better. I have 11X70 binoculars and an Orion XT10 telescope. The 'scope sees the planets and the moon and galaxies in greater detail, but the sheer "wow" factor of the binoculars is still the winner.