You're so right. I grew up a couple of miles outside a small Midwest city, and then that was enough to hide a lot of the dim stars. Being in the middle of the Pacific ocean at night, and caught been the phosphorescent bacteria churned up behind us and the Milky Way above us was the most spiritual experience of my life. It was so beautiful that I cried.

I took my kid camping in Joshua Tree last year and we spent a lot of time just taking in all the stars and waving at the occasional satellite zipping overhead. If someone's never done this, I cannot possibly over-recommend it.