I think resource management are pretty central ro D&D. That doesn't mean there can't be other challenges as well. The issue is, it really depends on the group.
Some people hate puzzles and riddles. I played in a campaign ( LFR, the 4E public game) that had a lot and pretty much everyone rolled their eyes and handed it to the one guy that can do them I don't think he enjoyed it after a while either.
Some people like political intrigue or mysteries. But there are better games for that.
So I use the alternate rest rules with one group where a short rest is overnight and a long rest several days, usually a week. It suits my standard pace of play. Resource tracking is definitely an issue. But for another group? They're heavily martial based so I don't bother.
In both groups, I simply mix it up a lot. Sometimes we'll spend an hour or two role playing, sometimes we'll do complex encounters like chases or complex traps. Things that the PC matters but the players can also come up with clever solutions.
For example in a recent game the group had to get past some ogre battering ram guards. One of the PCs used a class feature to enlarge themselves and a hat of disguise to look like an ogre and, long story short, they bluffed their way through.
So I wouldn't worry if they don't have to care all that much about resources, unless it's something they enjoy. Find other things to sprinkle in.