The blog Engineering a Better World might seem a far cry from the wanderlust world, but in a year when even the most enthusiastic travelers are watching their wallets, the site’s Culture on the Cheap article is right up our alley. The compilation of 100 websites offers a pretty comprehensive guide to local arts and entertainment offerings throughout the United States. The listings include state guides, city guides, and guides to niche entertainment/interest sites such as Bird Watcher’s Digest. Hey, if you’re watching your wallet and enjoy the outdoors, a birding festival might be just the thing!

While in Oahu on the So Much More Hawaii blogger’s tour sponsored by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA,) we were hosted at the most historic hotels on Waikiki Beach – the “pink palace” Royal Hawaiian and the Victorian Moana Surfrider.

With rack rates of roughly $300 and up (way up!) I could normally never afford a room there myself,  so although I’m glad the HTA arranged for the bloggers to stay at the properties, I kept looking around and thinking, “What can I possibly say about all of this luxury when I’m known as a budget-minded blogger?”

Here are my suggestions for enjoying the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Surfrider even if you don’t stay there:

• Eat in the hotel beach bars – the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian (here’s a Twitpic photo of my meal there, just steps from the surf) and The Beach Bar at the Moana, under the famous banyan tree.  The food is pricey but good, and there’s often free live music in the evening. The view of Diamond Head and Waikiki doesn’t cost anything, either.

• Enjoy special aspects of the hotel restaurants – The Veranda at the Moana has featured afternoon tea for decades (and I thought their breakfast buffet was pretty good, too.) The Azure restaurant at the Royal Hawaiian is all about local seafood, including a Catch of the Day dinner menu item from that morning’s Honolulu fish auction.  Again, not cheap, but still less than a room.

• Get a Hawaiian history lesson – the Moana has a whole artifact section about the history of the hotel and tourism on Waikiki Beach; go up the wooden staircase inside the lobby to the second floor atrium and you’ll see the display cases. Free.

• Try the hotel spa.  You do not have to be a hotel guest to  experience a “Lihau Body Cocoon” treatment at the Royal Hawaiian abhasa spa, or hear the surf through the windows during a lomi lomi ola massage at the Surfrider’s moana lani spa.

• Enjoy the beach behind the hotel. All beaches in Hawaii, including every inch of Waikiki Beach, are required by law to be open to the public. There are no “private beaches,” so sign up for surfing lessons or an outrigger canoe ride with the guys at Waikiki Beach Services behind the Royal Hawaiian, and have a blast in the warm, clear waters.

• Walk through the properties and soak up some ambiance. It costs nothing to walk through the beautifully-appointed lobbies and admire the furnishings and artwork (and maybe sit for awhile in one of the Moana’s rockers under the porte-cochere entry, perhaps with a coffee from nearby Honolulu Coffee.)  You don’t have to be super dressed-up, but I wouldn’t just wander through in a bathing suit.  I saw one guy show up shirtless in the Moana lobby to pick up a pizza delivery….gaak.  Have some class, buddy.

When I was on Navy active duty with an actual salary, I still didn’t spend much time in swanky hotels (OK, I did spring for the Algonquin in New York) so it felt odd to live the high life for a few days.

I will say that the Moana’s beds, the famous Westin Heavenly Beds, were DIVINELY comfortable and plush, and I do own a pink terry bathrobe from the Royal Hawaiian.  I bought it years ago because I liked the hotel’s history and personality, but I never thought I’d actually stay there.

Mahalo to both places for their hospitality.

Just So You Know Disclaimer:  The state Hawaii Tourism Authority through Cilantro Media paid my way to Hawaii for the So Much More Hawaii bloggers tour, and also paid most of my expenses while I was there, including lodging.

Just because you live in the big city doesn’t mean that you have to forsake nature. Escape the city with these 12 natural getaways from WebEcoist.

Find out how U.S. Mayors are supporting  global guidelines for Sustainable Tourism.

Intelligent Travel helps your discover the greening history of Boulder, Colorado. 

Jamble Mag asks Is sleeping in a hotel room with no bed eco-friendly?

Meanwhile,  the Guardian asks Just how green can a €1bn, 3,000-room resort really be?

Check out this Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuel written by Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).

Segways in national parks – ecofriendly or lazy?

Mother Nature Network lists the Top 10 organic fast-food restaurants.

World Hum looks at When (So-Called) Eco-Travelers Sin.

the daily green lists The 10 Greenest Airlines Fly Friendlier Skies.

It’s two weeks into June and I’ve only just got around to reading the latest edition of the online Perceptive Travel magazine.

It’s definitely worth reading so if you can find some time out of your busy schedules, grab a coffee or a wine and sit back and enjoy.

Regular contributors Bruce Northam and Chris Epting are back this month as is Luke Armstrong, all with articles aimed to make you want to pack your bags and fly off for your own adventure.

Bruce is in South America looking at going Pirate Chic and checking out  former buccaneer haunts of Honduras, while Chris remains stateside and travels with a glass, checking out America’s historic bars and the places where some of the USA’s iconic cocktails got their start.

Meanwhile, Luke entertains us with backpacker guitar tales (with a twist) from Nicaragua.

Plus editor Tim Leffel has another great roundup of World Music Reviews.

Happy reading.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter  for your chance to win the monthly prize. This month, there are two sets of travel books to win – Rick Steves’ Best of Europe 2009 and a Travel Journal.

If you happen to be visiting Santa Cruz, California, or even if you live nearby, the congeniality of Main Street, the beach, the boardwalk, the bookstores, and the cafes might keep you pretty busy. But when I feel like getting away from all the friendly, tasty goodness that seems to abound in Santa Cruz (including the unseen ambient pot smoke that always makes me so lazy, I swear, when I visit the laid-back town), a visit to the University’s (University of California Santa Cruz) renowned Arboretum provides much-needed grounding and fresh air.

Started in 1964 with a gift of 90 species of eucalyptus, the vast grounds now include huge gardens that harbor “living fossils” of plants representing mostly the Southern Hemisphere. The Australia Garden, New Zealand Garden, and South Africa Garden are all beloved by birdwatchers and wildlife photographers, as is the California Garden. More to the point, its very existence is a testament to Northern California liberal attitudes that acknowledge the importance of open space and a quiet place to walk, wander, and get away from the noise of towns and traffic.

The first time I went there was with my brother-in-law and my niece, then two. We spent nearly three hours strolling through the grounds (which are wheelchair- and stroller-friendly), chasing a happy toddler, and watching butterflies and hummingbirds. On my recent visit, the whole family (sister, brother-in-law, the two kids, me, husband, and my kid) spent just under an hour tramping up and down the “short tour,” a path designed to give a taste of the Arboretum for those who don’t want to get lost in its huge maze of paths.

Whether you’re interested in plants, birds, great views, or just a place to get away for a little while, make your way out to the Santa Cruz Arboretum. You won’t regret it.

The Arboretum is open every day, except Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Directions are on the website, or you can take a bus from the main terminal in Santa Cruz (look for buses going to the UCSC campus and ask to be dropped off at the Arboretum). The fee is $5 for adults and $2 for children over 6, free to UCSC students, Arobretum Associates and Volunteers, and members of the American Horticultural Society.