Hi,
I would suggest that your best bet would be a 8" f/6 reflector on a Dobsonion mount. There are several reasons for this. It has enough aperture to show you a wide variety of objects with good detail. Its easy to use and setup. Its a large telescope but its still very portable. Basically you will get the most bang for you money.
Right now your best bet is a Skywatcher 8" f/6 reflector which costs only ~$321 US and has gotten excellent reviews. For that price you simply can't get anything better IMHO.
Check out the review:
http://www.khanscope.com/newpage14.htm
Good luck with your decision
Pedro
http://www.amateurastronomy.net