
Out Of Office: 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.
Latest episodes

Sep 12, 2023 • 45min
Watching Movies on Airplanes
On this week’s episode, Kiernan and Ryan discuss their sometimes divergent philosophies of what makes a perfect airplane movie, the best thing to do with your screen if you’re not using it, and why you don’t want to sit in front of Ryan when he’s engaged in a heated round of Tetris. Things we talk about in this week’s episode: Fail Foliage Map: https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/ Last Stop: https://www.roerich.org/ https://www.factorytoursusa.com/ Rate and Review Us: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office-a-travel-podcast/id1438098925 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ooopodcast/

Aug 29, 2023 • 44min
Panama
On this week’s episode, Ryan takes us between two oceans to Panama. Pirates, Teddy Roosevelt, and propeller planes: what more could you want in an episode? Things we talk about in this week’s episode: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Favorite-Novel-Lawrence-Wright/dp/1416562478 Restaurants: Fonda Lo Que Hay Intimo Restaurante Maito Restaurante Cantina del Tigre https://www.amazon.com/Path-Between-Seas-Creation-1870-1914/dp/0671244094 https://www.museodelcanal.com/en/book-here/ https://barefootpanama.com/ https://www.audacy.com/podcast/search-engine-c67a8/episodes/wait-should-i-not-be-drinking-airplane-coffee-39823

Aug 15, 2023 • 59min
First Trip to New York
On this week’s episode, the boys make recommendations for their favorite city in the world: New York City! NYC has SO MUCH to do it can be overwhelming, so let Kiernan and Ryan recommend their curated must-do list for a first trip to the city—museums, theater, and famous landmarks abound! Things we talk about in this week’s episode: American Museum of Natural History https://www.amnh.org/ The Met Museum https://www.metmuseum.org/ MoMA https://www.moma.org/ The Cloisters https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters Statue of Liberty https://www.statueofliberty.org/statue-of-liberty/ Ellis Island https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/ Tenement Museum https://www.tenement.org/ Grand Central Terminal https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/ New York Public LIbrary (you want to go to the Main Branch) https://www.nypl.org/ The Morgan Library https://www.themorgan.org/ Empire State Building (see it, don’t go up) https://www.esbnyc.com/ 9/11 Memorial Museum https://www.911memorial.org/ Time Square https://www.timessquarenyc.org/ Broadway shows https://www.broadway.com/shows/tickets/ TKTS https://www.tdf.org/discount-ticket-programs/tkts-by-tdf/tkts-live/ “Scoring Broadway Tickets” episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scoring-broadway-tickets/id1438098925?i=1000433455504 Tulcingo de Valle https://www.tulcingorestaurant.com/ Central Park https://www.centralparknyc.org/ The High Line https://www.thehighline.org/ New Rules for Visiting Europe https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190453405/europe-travel-visa-etias-how-to-apply Atomic Bomb Statue on Upper West Side https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/24212#:~:text=Fifteen%20feet%20tall%2C%20made%20of,that%20leveled%20Hiroshima%20in%201945

Aug 8, 2023 • 55min
Nashville (Return Trip)
This week, join the boys as they take you back to Nashville, Tennessee, reliving their December 2019 episode to the Music City. Original Nashville Episode With All Links: https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-61-nashville/ More Tennessee Content: Chattanooga & Lookout Mountain: https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-88-chattanooga-lookout-mountain/ Knoxville & The Great Smoky Mountains: https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-85-knoxville-the-great-smoky-mountains/

Aug 1, 2023 • 47min
America’s Favorite Tourist Attractions, Based on Millions of Reviews
This week, the boys discuss the viral article on the most popular tourist attractions in the United States from HawaiianIslands.com with Brittany Mendez. Listen to find out why they both may end up in an asylum. Check out the article and maps here: https://hawaiianislands.com/blog/favorite-american-tourist-attraction/ Things We Talked About In Today’s Episode: Ryan on Overcoming The Divide: https://overcomethedivide.buzzsprout.com/1217318/13192884-the-democratic-primaries-media-strategy-with-ryan-j-davis https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/ https://floridapanhandle.com/shark-attack-data/ https://floridapanhandle.com/blog/the-most-and-least-expensive-vacation-destinations-around-the-world-and-states/ The Last Stop: Ryan: Ends August 13 https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/under-cover-leyendecker-and-american-masculinity Kiernan: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/23/metro/behind-maine-flag-debate-an-identity-crisis/?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter

Jul 18, 2023 • 45min
The Case for Travel
On this episode of “Out of Office: A Travel Podcast,” the boys debate a recent New Yorker article arguing against travel! Things we talk about in this week’s episode: The Case Against Travel https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/the-case-against-travel Icon of the Seas https://www.insider.com/royal-caribbean-icon-of-the-seas-images-freaks-people-out-2023-7?amp Wes Anderson sites https://www.travelandleisureasia.com/global/destinations/wes-anderson-movie-filming-locations-you-can-visit/amp/

Jul 4, 2023 • 53min
Denali National Park
On this week’s episode, Kiernan takes us deep into the wilds of Alaska to visit one of the greats: Denali National Park. He talks us through sled dog training, why “Mount McKinley” happened, and a set of skulls that tell the tale of an epic battle to the death. Things we talk about in this week’s episode: Denali National Park https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm “Denali or Mount McKinley” https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/historyculture/denali-origins.htm#:~:text=Prospectors%20all%20along%20the%20Yukon,1897%20New%20York%20Sun%20article Denali Sled Dogs https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/meet-the-sled-dogs.htm “South Park” saves Denver restaurant https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/us/casa-bonita-restaurant.html A Frequent Flier Hero https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/23/united-airlines-very-frequent-flyer/

Jun 20, 2023 • 47min
Detroit 101
On this week’s episode, Ryan and Kiernan head to Motor City to talk Motown, Coney dogs, and Diego Rivera. Ryan also sits down with Melody Baetens, The Detroit News' restaurant critic, to discuss her favorite dining spots and live music venues in town. Get revved up for your first trip to Detroit! Things we talk about in this week’s episode: Melody at The Detroit News: https://www.detroitnews.com/entertainment/dining-bars/ Melody on Twitter: https://twitter.com/melodybaetens Train from Bogota to Salt Cathedral: https://www.turistren.com.co/en/?page_id=7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Cathedral_of_Zipaquir%C3%A1

Jun 6, 2023 • 52min
North America’s 50 Best Bars
On this week’s episode, Ryan sits down with Mark Sansom, Content Director for North America’s 50 Best Bars, to talk about this year’s 50 Best Bars in North America list. Plus, Ryan and Kiernan share some of their favorite bars that didn’t make the list. Things we talk about in this week’s episode: North America’s 50 Best Bars: https://www.worlds50bestbars.com/northamerica/ The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Main Website: https://www.theworlds50best.com/ World’s 50 Best Discovery Search Tool: https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/ The Last Stop: Ryan: https://www.hudsonriverrail.com/ Kiernan: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/magazine/first-class-ethics.html

May 23, 2023 • 56min
First Trip to London
On this week’s episode, the boys right a major wrong: in over 150 episodes, they’ve never done an episode on London for first-timers! England’s capital city can be overwhelming—world-class museums on every corner, historically significant architecture left and right, churches and zoos and gardens and parks and theater and libraries! What is a tourist with limited time to do?? This episode tells you. Things we talk about in this week’s episode: Obscure Musuems of London Episode https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-141-obscure-museums-of-london-part-1-return-trip/ River Thames https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-long-and-winding-history-of-the-thames-139049496/ Handy Guide to Neighborhoods of London https://www.huffpost.com/entry/48-london-neighborhoods-a-quick-reference-guide_b_7557148 Planning your public transportation https://tfl.gov.uk/maps_/tfl-go Taxis and “The Knowledge” (NYer article was behind a paywall so here is a NYT) https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-test-knowledge.html Westminster Abbey https://www.westminster-abbey.org/ Saint Paul’s https://www.stpauls.co.uk/ Houses of Parliament https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/ Tower of London https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/ Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/8725947-changing-the-guard Hampton Court Palace https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/#gs.ysui4s Shakespeare’s Globe https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/ West End https://officiallondontheatre.com/london-west-end-guide/ British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/ Tate Modern https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern Tate Britain https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain Victoria and Albert https://www.vam.ac.uk/ V&A David story https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-michelangelos-david Natural History Museum https://www.nhm.ac.uk/ Churchill War Rooms https://winstonchurchill.org/visit/churchill-war-rooms/ British Library https://www.bl.uk/discovering-our-collections John Soane Museum https://www.soane.org/ Trafalgar Square https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafalgar_Square Piccadilly Circus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccadilly_Circus Hyde Park https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park Kew Gardens https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens We love Rick Steves’s London guide for first-timers and, for those who are looking to get way off the beaten path, Jonglez Publishing’s “Secret London.”
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