For a lot of road warriors and travelers Starbucks has long functioned as a second office. A place to grab a latte, open your laptop, and check your e-mail. Sadly the company recently announced that it will be closing 600 stores across the U.S. due to poor sales. I myself was concerned since I take advantage of their wireless access when traveling both in the airports and at their stores to stay connected. I came across the full list of store closings on the company website and wanted to share it with all of you. Just click here for the closure list (it’s a pdf file, so you’ll be asked to download it).

DailyCandy.com clued me in to a big sale going on at Flight001.com today. I found this adorable Orla Kiely bag marked down to $219.99. Still a bit pricey, but how cute for a quick weekend getaway?

Boutique hotels are like the Frank Lloyd Wright houses of our time. They are beautiful to look at. Vertically designed so all aspects add up to a “lifestyle”, not just an architectural space. Sometimes though, they miss their mark. Here are just a few of the ideas hoteliers have tried on me that just didn’t work:

- elevator color light therapy, trust me green light isn’t flattering to anyone

- Swedish showers (read: no shower curtain and yards of slippery, wet tile)

- check in desk as candy counter, seriously I still haven’t figured that one out

- room door made of chalkboard, complete with chalk. For my inner child?

- lofted bed, just like the one’s from college, and only accessible from one side

- condoms at turndown. Never take away a girl’s chocolate

- a bathroom designed so tightly, that the door won’t close

I love boutique hotels, so I’ll keep trying to find the perfect space. I wouldn’t tell you to avoid boutique hotels. I just caution you if you’re heading for one yourself, to keep an open mind. They can be an amazing experience or just plain bizarre.

With Summer half gone (how is that even possible?!), I’m sure you’re at your desk dreaming of a family getaway. I know it’s been pretty expensive to fly this year and I’ve even recommended considering a staycation. Another alternative is to stick close to home, but try new things. I grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes, so summertime to me means water skiing, tubing and just about any other boating activity you can think of. I often find myself dreaming of an adirondack chair overlooking a clear lake and a glass of fresh lemonade. Well that dream is closer than you think. Like what you see above? Leave me a comment and I’ll point you there.

Today’s tip comes courtesy of my brilliant husband. This morning he was Google mapping his work commute to check the distance. What he discovered, quite by accident, is that if you choose the “public transit” link (right next to driving directions at the top left of the page), you can get amazingly accurate information on how to get from point A to point B. I know as a tourist I’ve often wondered if I’m transferring to the right bus or how far I will have to walk from the subway. The Google map shows you the entire trip detailing all the legs (cable car, subway, bus, walk), and the length of time it should take you to get there. They even price the trip out for you next to the address, so you’ll always have the right change.

Travel is full of stress. You queue up to check in for flights, get through TSA, and then you “hurry up and wait” to see if your plane will actually take off on time, or sometimes at all. Cancellations and delays just exacerbate an already unpleasant experience. One way to cut stress on the road? Virtual bubble wrap. I know it sounds totally weird, but try it. I pop a few on my Mac and soon I’m back to feeling zen. If you’re hyper stressed, check manic mode and really go to town. Just be sure to lower your volume before you start playing. Kudos to the genius that invented this funny little app.

With $15 surcharges for each checked bag, my luggage space is at a premium these days. I’m always on the lookout for a clever packing solution. I was delighted to find this Spacepak Clothes Bag over at Better Living Through Design. It’s dual sided, so your clean clothes zip into one side and your dirty ones go in the other. No more sorting things out when you return home and unpack. Just dump the dirty side and you’re laundry is good to go.

I know that I am. I’m concerned that United is going to cancel the flight for my upcoming vacation. Remember many months ago I was warning you to purchase tickets as I thought prices would rise. Well I did buy tickets myself. Now I’m sweating it out waiting for the e-mail telling me that United has cut the route. To be fair, it’s not a large market for them, but…they’ve been using my money for months, so I expect that plane to fly. I found this map over at USAToday.com that details all the flight cuts state by state. If you’re worried about your next flight, check it out.

The W Honolulu- Diamondhead is one of my favorite hotels. It’s located on Oahu, but is off the beaten path of Honolulu hotels. It’s is quiet, relaxing and has a great view. My husband and I had a room with a balcony overlooking Diamondhead crater. It was a charming place to have breakfast, and an even more romantic venue from which to watch the sunset. We visited over Valentine’s Day weekend, but Summer is actually a great time for deals on Hawaiian travel. With beautiful, temperate weather there’s really never a bad time to plan a trip to the islands.

I mentioned yesterday that the airlines are starting to remove entertainment options from their flights. I myself often read books or magazines when I fly to distract myself. I’m a very nervous flyer. Sometimes though (especially when we hit turbulence), I can’t concentrate. Recently I found Audible.com. It’s a subscription service that allows me to download audio books and magazines directly into my iPod via iTunes. I can then just pop in my earphones and listen to someone else calmly read me a novel, discuss current events, or give me the fashion news. With 40,000 titles to choose from, there’s definitely something here for everyone. Added bonus? I don’t have to figure out how to dispose of or re-use my books and magazines.