I have a little "nuts and bolts" advice. The remark on proper collimation is very important--keep your scope aligned well, and it will serve you much much better.
Also, when I recently bought my 10", I didn't realize that "stiction"--the tendency of the scope to move in fits and starts while you're pushing it around--is as big an issue as it is. Start by collecting empty milk jugs and cutting about 3" washers out of the plastic. Drill a hole through the middle, and mount as small stack of these between the base and the rotating mount above it. They reduce the drag on the azimuth motion of the scope, and nearly eliminate stiction.
Also, if you're going to be observing near you house or a source of electrical power, get a long extension cord and a cheap hair dryer! No one ever told me how much of a pain dew can be, but after 15 minutes of observing, everything clouds over for me and I'm done. The hair dryer, set on low and blown on dewy elements from about 6" away, solves the problem beautifully and cheaply.
Happy viewing!!
Finally, invest $40 in a Telrad finder. I bought one at the same time as my scope, and it's a godsend! It projects 3 concentric red circles at infinity on the night sky. Once you've aligned it properly (pretty simple to do on the full moon), whatever you put in the center circle is in your eyepiece. I cannot overemphasize how incredibly easy and quick it is to find things and put them in the scope with this device. Best $40 you can invest on your 1st accessory.