

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

Jul 30, 2019 • 52min
State Parks with Peter Kujawinski
This week on Out of Office:A Travel Podcast, Kiernan talks to New York Times travel journalist Peter Kujawinski about his epic exploration of 53 state parks across the United States. His trip revealed extraordinary scenery, troubling Native American history, and little known presidential facts. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/travel/state-parks-eastern-united-states.html https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/ https://www.mass.gov/locations/walden-pond-state-reservation https://www.robertfrostfarm.org/visit-farm https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/harriman https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/ https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/kodachrome-basin/ http://www.ctvisit.com/listings/sleeping-giant-state-park https://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/ https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2971.htm https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/GiantCity.aspx http://mdwfp.com/parks-destinations/state-parks/wall-doxey http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ulkBctY_JM https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/20/arts/cesar-pelli-dead.html

Jul 23, 2019 • 48min
The Ups & Downs of B&Bs
This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys debate the merits and drawbacks of staying at traditional B&Bs. They explain how to set conversational parameters, the likelihood of ghost sightings, and why there’s no such thing as a dog that licks too much. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/climate-smart-commitment/ https://www.misterbandb.com https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/opinion/machu-picchu-airport.html

Jul 16, 2019 • 49min
NASA Mission Control at Johnson Space Center
This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan speaks with NASA’s Sandra Tetley, who oversaw the brand spankin’ new restoration of Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Visitors will experience Apollo 11’s launch, moon landing, and return as if they were there. Tetley talks about the detective work that goes into restoration—and several historic NASA sites that are slated for demolition. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/06/behind-the-scenes-at-nasas-newly-restored-historic-apollo-mission-control/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/space-tourism-with-professor-matthew-weinzierl/id1438098925?i=1000428689021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_quarantine_facility https://slate.com/technology/2019/07/dominican-republic-tourism-deaths-not-unusual-overblown.html http://www.scoutingny.com/demonically-possessed-owls-in-herald-square/

Jul 9, 2019 • 48min
Sleeping in Spanish Monasteries
This week on Out of Office, Kiernan speaks with Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks, authors of “Room with a Pew: Sleeping Our Way Through Spain’s Ancient Monasteries.” You’ll learn about secret menageries, the lopped-off limbs of saints, and party-animal nuns. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/06/24/this-is-nightmare-woman-fell-asleep-mid-flight-woke-up-trapped-dark-plane-alone/?utm_term=.561f4457d458 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GI7816/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 http://www.starksmurcutt.com/ https://www.paradores-spain.com/ http://www.reidsguides.com/t_h/t_h_convents.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/us/alabama-wasp-nest-warning-trnd/index.html

Jul 2, 2019 • 51min
Patriotic Places
This week on Out of Office, in honor of the 4th of July the boys each compile and compare a list of 5 places that embody the story of America. Plus, Kiernan accidentally curses. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/can-democrats-win-back-the-internet-in-the-age-of-trump https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Street_(Toronto) https://diowinebar.com/ https://domestiquewine.com/

Jun 25, 2019 • 56min
National Parks of the Pacific Northwest
This week on Out of Office, Kiernan talks about his recent trip to Mount Rainier National Park, Crater Lake National Park, and Olympic National Park, plus why the Pacific Northwest speaks to his Star Wars-obsessed soul. The boys also chat about why you shouldn’t be surprised if a mountain goat comes knocking on your bathroom door. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm https://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm https://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/jun/13/frida-kahlos-only-known-voice-recording-may-have-been-found-in-mexico https://www.npr.org/2019/06/16/733225445/notre-dame-holds-first-mass-since-fire-devastated-the-historic-paris-cathedral https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=676&v=1GR_NqXFNdA https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/mountain-goat-relocation-begins-in-olympic-national-park/

Jun 18, 2019 • 48min
Documentary Filmmaker Chase Whiteside
This week on Out of Office, Ryan talks to documentarian Chase Whiteside about his film “América” and what it’s like to travel the world on the film festival circuit, including screenings in Iraq and Kosovo. Plus, a callback to our beloved Natural Wine episode! Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://americadocumentary.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton_Boulevard https://www.moma.org/calendar/film/5068 https://passportindex.org

Jun 11, 2019 • 55min
Passport 102: Inside the Good Book
This week on Out of Office, the boys talk about the all-American quotes and iconography inside the US passport. Plus, how Kiernan nearly dishonored Saint Francis until Saint Anthony helped a brother out. Listen to Passports 101: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/passports-101/id1438098925?i=1000423757975 Things we talked about in today’s podcast: http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/02/nyc-real-estate-living-in-a-turret.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/world/asia/mount-everest-deaths.html https://www.passportindex.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

Jun 4, 2019 • 55min
Historic Houses in America Part 2
This week on Out of Office, the boys talk about more American historic houses they love and why Mark Twain had to decamp to Europe when he made a bad investment. Plus, how you can now pay money to sleep in Ryan’s childhood bed. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/historic-houses-in-america/id1438098925?i=1000422839996 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-hidden-air-pollution-in-our-homes https://marktwainhouse.org/ https://www.motownmuseum.org/about-the-museum/the-collection/hitsville-u-s-a/ http://www.sewardhouse.org/ http://www.californiacuriosities.com/halloween-house/ https://www.paulreverehouse.org/ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/29

May 28, 2019 • 47min
Gaudí’s Barcelona
This week on Out Of Office, the boys talk about the famous architect Antoni Gaudí and his many iconic buildings in Barcelona. They also discuss why La Sagrada Familia is the perfect antidote to Cathedral Fatigue. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: https://sagradafamilia.org/en/home https://parkguell.barcelona/en/home-en http://www.lapedrera.com/en https://www.casabatllo.es/en/ https://casavicens.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_de_Arte_Popular https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alebrije https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/greathomesanddestinations/gaudi-home-to-become-a-museum.html https://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/frida-kahlo-and-arte-popular