

Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast
A Travel Podcast
Out of Office is a travel podcast hosted by us, Ryan Davis and Kiernan Schmitt. From early childhood, we were each infected with a serious case of wanderlust (among other things.)
We define travel broadly, from local day trips to high-flyin' overseas adventures. Every episode, we dig into one topic—ranging from the serious to the silly, the practical to the outlandish—and give advice on how to get out there and explore the world.
We define travel broadly, from local day trips to high-flyin' overseas adventures. Every episode, we dig into one topic—ranging from the serious to the silly, the practical to the outlandish—and give advice on how to get out there and explore the world.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 2, 2025 • 36min
Christmas Book Gift Recommendations 2025
This week, The Boys unwrap their favorite book picks for the holiday season — from globe-trotting history to wild presidential tales to the secret life of gas stations in the American South. They also dig into new national park surcharges for foreign visitors. The Books: "Lafayette in the Somewhat United States" by Sarah Vowell — https://www.amazon.com/Lafayette-Somewhat-United-States-Vowell/dp/0399573100 Amazon+1 "Bolívar: American Liberator" by Marie Arana — https://www.amazon.com/Bol%C3%ADvar-American-Liberator-Marie-Arana/dp/006073509X "The Magician" by Colm Tóibín — https://www.amazon.com/Magician-Novel-Colm-T%C3%B3ib%C3%ADn/dp/0307952879 "Wilderness Warrior: TR and the Crusade for America" by Douglas Brinkley — https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Warrior-Crusade-American-Brinkley/dp/0066210372 "Rightful Heritage: FDR and the Land for America" by Douglas Brinkley — https://www.amazon.com/Rightful-Heritage-America-Douglas-Brinkley/dp/0812980040 "Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation's Leaders" by Brady Carlson — https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Presidents-American-Surprising-Leaders/dp/1631493952

Nov 18, 2025 • 55min
Plymouth and the Mayflower II
On this episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan talks to Richard Stone, author of "Project Mayflower." Things we discussed on today's episode: "Project Mayflower" book https://bookshop.org/p/books/project-mayflower-building-and-sailing-a-seventeenth-century-replica-richard-a-stone/a3f94ee44f9babb4?ean=9781493084364&next=t&next=t&affiliate=books Plimoth Patuxet Museums https://plimoth.org/ Plymouth Rock https://seeplymouth.com/listing/plymouth-rock/ Pilgrim Hall Museum https://www.pilgrimhall.org/ Sail250 https://www.sailboston.com/sail250/ Green-Wood Cemetery New Yorker article https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/09/green-wood-cemeterys-living-dead

Nov 4, 2025 • 32min
Our Favorite Museum Heists
This week on the pod, the boys dive into their favorite museum heists, from Boston to Bogotá.

Oct 21, 2025 • 58min
Cruising Life with Royal Caribbean CEO Richard Fain
On this week's episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast." Kiernan talks to Richard Fain who served as CEO of Royal Caribbean for 33 years. Richard and his team oversaw—and essentially invented—the evolution of the cruise ship industry from a niche business to a global behemoth. His new book "Delivering the WOW" gives the behind the scenes story, with tons of great tidbits (how do you build an ice rink on a ship?) and business advice. Things We Talk About on Today's Episode "Delivering the WOW" https://www.deliveringthewow.com/ Richard Fain https://www.deliveringthewow.com/about-richard Adrian McKinty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_McKinty Black Rabbit https://www.netflix.com/title/81630027 Crazy Horse Memorial https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/style/a-hike-to-crazy-horse-stirs-patriotism-and-doubt.html

Oct 7, 2025 • 44min
Theodore Roosevelt Sites
On this episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," the boys discuss historic homes and parks related to Kiernan's favorite President, Theodore Roosevelt. Brace yourselves for high adventure—assassins, deadly predators, and poor eyesight. Things we discussed on today's episode: Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace https://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm American Museum of Natural History https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/theodore-roosevelt-memorial/roosevelt-rotunda Sagamore Hill https://www.nps.gov/sahi/index.htm TR Gravesite https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/visit-the-roosevelt-gravesite-at-young-s-cemetery.htm Theodore Roosevelt National Park https://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm Upcoming Presidential Library https://www.trlibrary.com Theodore Roosevelt Island https://www.nps.gov/this/index.htm Architectural Digest Detroit https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/detroit-is-booming-and-its-a-must-visit-for-design-lovers

Sep 23, 2025 • 56min
6 Lesser Known Museums We Love
On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan and Ryan travel the world over to share our favorite obscure museums. From Kuala Lumpur to Hartford, CT, we've got some surprises on this one. Things we talk about on this week's episode: Wadsworth Athenaeum https://www.thewadsworth.org/ Button Museum https://buttonmuseum.org/ Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Bogotá (MAC) https://museu.ms/museum/details/17154/museo-de-arte-contemporaneo-de-bogota Islamic Arts Museum https://iamm.org.my/ Museum of Socialist Art https://www.artandobject.com/articles/museum-socialist-art-bulgarias-de-facto-museum-communist-history Museum of Apiculture https://mro.si/en/musem-of-apiculture NYC School Architecture https://www.untappedcities.com/cbj-snyder-shools/?ref=daily-newsletter

Sep 9, 2025 • 50min
Detroit 201
On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan loads up the family and heads to sunny Detroit. On our previous Detroit episode (Epi 153), we focused on the art and major tourist attractions, and this time around we hit up Detroit's surprisingly lovely nature (read: Belle Isle) and amazing local eats (read: Dearborn, MI.) Things we talk about on this week's episode: Saint Sebastian is a gay icon https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/lgbt-artwork-marks-saint-sebastian-feast-day Basilica of Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/basilica-san-sebastiano-outside-walls Detroit 101 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/detroit-101/id1438098925?i=1000617683551 Detroit Riverfront https://www.detroitriverfront.org/ Cullen Family Carousel https://www.detroitriverfront.org/plan-your-visit/things-to-do/cullen-family-carousel-seasonal Belle Isle https://www.belleisleconservancy.org/ Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse http://detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/livingstone-memorial-lighthouse The Gothic Room https://www.detroithistorical.org/exhibitions/gothic-room James Scott Memorial Fountain https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/james-scott-memorial-fountain Halal Food Guru https://www.tiktok.com/@halalfoodguru Altayeb https://www.yelp.com/biz/altayeb-of-dearborn-dearborn Pupuseria https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Salvadoran&find_loc=Detroit%2C+MI Leila https://www.leiladetroit.com/ Detroit style pizza https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-pizza-restaurants-detroit?srsltid=AfmBOooztxdpsnekr53gxRIgkbl654hgGtOqjTYgjNCaX1QnyzGizSbO Boston's Detroit Pizza Co https://www.dpcboston.com/s/order#most-popular Pie Sci https://piescipizza.com/ Ryan can't go to Singapore https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz60z98nzx7o

Aug 26, 2025 • 39min
Guatapé, Colombia
On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan takes us to Guatapé, Colombia, land of big rocks and little zócalos, with an interview with tour guide Oscar Lujan. Plus, Kiernan takes us back to London for a preview of The Darkest Hour: The Musical. Things we talk about on this week's episode: Oscar: https://www.instagram.com/medellinpeaks/ Ryan: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbi4w4pQzI/?igsh=MWR0ZnczM2doczBxeg%3D%3D Kiernan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/british-history-royals-rebels-and-romantics/id1516524780

Aug 12, 2025 • 1h 8min
Festivals All Over The World
This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan chats with Daniel Stables, the author of the new book "Fiesta", which chronicles Daniel's journey around the world attending parties, shindigs, ceremonies, gatherings, jamborees, and other alluring functions! Things we talk about on this week's episode: "Fiesta" by Daniel Stables https://www.iconbooks.com/ib-title/fiesta/ Garcia Marquez laid to rest https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36355670 Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop https://www.pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk/

Jul 29, 2025 • 1h 1min
Traveling with Children Part 1
This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," a listener request! Kiernan offers tips, tricks, watch-outs, and must-dos when traveling with children. From gear to diversionary tactics, this is a must-listen for wanderlusty parents. Things we talk about on this week's episode: Anker external batteries https://www.anker.com/collections/power-banks Puro headphones https://purosound.com/ "America, América" https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747326/america-america-by-greg-grandin/ "Fiesta" by Daniel Stables https://www.iconbooks.com/ib-title/fiesta/ Charlie's Place https://lnk.to/CharliesPlace-OutofOffice


