You can always build yourself a Dob, e.g. from David Kriege & Richard Berry's book The Dobsonian Telescope. Main expense would be the mirror, wedge & eyepiece carrier/focuser. I did this in 2000 and the result was quite pleasing. Dobs are great for visual observation, and you can get pics of the moon once you get the hang of it.
You might also find a second-hand Meade ETX reasonably cheaply. The optics on these are great and they're very transportable. You can use them as terrestrial telephoto lenses, too.
I eventually jacked it in: staying up late wasn't conducive to getting up early to ride.