I went to a dark sky site in California with a couple of friends last night. We had a 16" Newtonian telescope, but the comet was sooooo faint that it was a disappointment. Images from NASA's web site are much more satisfying.
However, there were some other things that were awesome! M13, The Swan, Lagoon, Triffid, Ring, The Veil, Jupiter, M81/M82... and, of course, wildflowers, bumble-bees and MOSQUITOS!!!
Would have been nice if the probe had had a second part that would have separated from the mother ship, stood back, and videoed the crash of the mother ship into the comet, then flown back to near earth to relay its pictures. Looking at it from earth is nice but we really could have used a 50-mile view.
Here's what you need: Bug Suit
I spent many a mosquito-filled morning in one like this waiting on the side of the Shuttle landing strip for the Orbiter to land.
The mosquitoes and no-see-ums there will carry you away if you're not covered. I also had a pair of mesh gloves. Had to operate cameras so I couldn't just put my hands in my pockets.