that meade newt is a new-ish ball in the game. haven't seen posts about it, either. i'd suggest you do a search on cloudynights.com for it.
is the price difference warranting the dive into the unknown?
what are the eyepieces like of which you say they'd make the meade more attractive? are they actually making sense in a fast ota? or will you be replacing them within a month, anyway?
6" newt in general is a good size. that'll keep her happy for a long time. it's not heavy, so she'll be more often under the stars than with a heavier setup.
as to the mount: it's the most important part. you'll want that to be frustration-free for a beginner. stable, easy to set up and in your case of planned camping trips easy to transport.
alt/az with GOTO would be my choice.
annette
p.s. what a wonderful present!!!!!