The wide-open spaces that others shun as being too desolate, intimidating and barren are near to my heart for many reasons. One of these is the horizon to horizon view you get when doing astronomy. When using a telescope or a binocular on the southern constellations, you pick up objects that you seldom see when surrounded by a landscape with trees. Another benefit that goes hand-in-hand with wide-open spaces is a dark sky. Want to turn your little telescope into a big telescope? Travel to a dark sky site. Going west on vacation? Be sure to take a small telescope or, at least, a binocular and do some astronomy.