

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

Jun 23, 2022 • 50min
Rocky Mountain National Park
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan talks about Rocky Mountain National Park ahead of the busy summer season. From majestic peaks to glassy lakes, RMNP is one of America’s premiere parks with hikes and sights accessible to all age ranges and abilities. Plus, Ryan talks about Peru prep. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Rocky Mountain National Park https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm The Stanley Hotel https://www.stanleyhotel.com/ Grand Lake Lodge https://www.grandlakelodge.com/ Allenpark Lodge https://allensparklodgebnb.com/ Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ https://smokindavesbbq.com/ The Donut Haus http://www.donuthaus-estespark.com/ Falcon Guide https://www.amazon.com/Best-Hikes-Rocky-Mountain-National/dp/1493046780/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LNBPCIWSMUAE&keywords=rocky+mountain+easy+day+hike&qid=1654717385&s=books&sprefix=rocky+mountain+easy+day+hi%2Cstripbooks%2C74&sr=1-1 “The Motorcycle Diaries” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motorcycle_Diaries_(film) The New Yorker’s “Flight Attendants Fight Back” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/30/flight-attendants-fighting-back

Jun 7, 2022 • 50min
Summering in the Eastern Shore of Maryland
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast….listen, we’re going to level with you: Kiernan was frankly skeptical that the Eastern Shore of Maryland merited its own episode. Sure, Ryan grew up there but…a whole episode? But we’ll be damned if Ryan didn’t do his hometown proud. From wild horses to historic haunted houses to hip boardwalks and a quirky lifeguarding museum, the Eastern Shore of Maryland is a must-visit summer destination! Plus, learn why Ryan spent (read:misspent) his youth poking squishy crabs. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Ward Museum: https://www.wardmuseum.org/ National Folk Festival - https://nationalfolkfestival.com/ Red Roost Crab House - https://www.theredroost.com/ Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park - https://www.nps.gov/hatu/index.htm Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge - https://www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater Assateague Island - https://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm Furnace Town Historic Site - http://www.furnacetown.org/ Bill Tracey - http://ochh.net/tracyindex.html

May 24, 2022 • 53min
“The Cook You Want to Be” with Andy Baraghani
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan talks to Andy Baraghani, food writer, chef extraordinaire, social media star, and author of the new cookbook “The Cook You Want to Be.” Andy talks about how travel inspires his recipe development and the best tricks we can all learn from street vendors. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: “The Cook You Want to Be” by Andy Baraghani:https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781984858566 Andy on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/andybaraghani Andy on San Miguel de Allende: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/san-miguel-de-allende-mexico-things-to-do.html Rick Steves on 2022 Summer Travel in “T+L”:https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/rick-steves-europe-summer-travel-tips NYT’s “Living that #VanLife”:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/15/podcasts/the-daily/van-life-millennials-sunday-read.html “Mad Magazine” staff trips:https://www.madmagazine.com/blog/2012/12/13/totally-mad-excerpt-what-were-the-mad-trips

May 12, 2022 • 39min
Summer Trip Planning 2022
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan and Kiernan talk about why travel this summer is going to be particularly challenging and the best strategies for optimizing your Covid “revenge travel.” Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Past Episodes: Peru: https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-44-peru-part-1/ https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-45-peru-part-2/ https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-53-peru-part-3-machu-picchu/ Trip Planning 101 https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-two-trip-planning/ State Parks with NYT’s Peter Kujawinski https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-43-state-parks-with-peter-kujawinski/ Unexploded Bombs as Souvenir https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/04/29/airport-us-tourists-unexploded-souvenir-bomb-to-ben-gurion/?sh=64f6c8a44af2 New Yorker’s “Transforming Trees into Skyscrapers” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/transforming-trees-into-skyscrapers

Apr 26, 2022 • 1h 15min
San Antonio 101
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan takes us to San Antonio, TX and digs deep into the Alamo, San Antonio’s best haunted happenings with Jesse Beere, and the city’s best eats with Edmund Tijerina. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Ryan Garcia Wins:https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/33711179/ryan-garcia-dominates-emmanuel-tagoe-unanimous-decision-win Episode 108 on Gothic Cathedrals:https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-108-gothic-cathedrals-101/ Texas Ghost Tour:https://texasghosttour.com/ Briscoe Museum of Western Arthttps://www.briscoemuseum.org/ San Antonio Dining With Edmund Tijerina https://edmundtijerina.com/https://www.amazon.com/San-Antonios-Best-Restaurants-beloved/dp/1978146809/ San Antonio Taxidermy Museum:https://www.buckhornmuseum.com/ Paris’s best taxidermy at Deyrolles https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/deyrolle-paris-book/amp

Apr 7, 2022 • 42min
How War Threatens Ukraine’s Art and Architecture
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan speaks with writer Evan Rail about how the war in Ukraine puts at risk priceless art and architecture and how Ukrainians are trying to protect and preserve their culture. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: New York Times’s “Ukraine’s Architectural Treasures Face Destruction” https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/travel/ukraine-architecture-war.html New York Times’s “In Ukraine, Churches with a Distinctive Allure” https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/travel/ukraines-wooden-churches.html Evan Rail on social https://twitter.com/evanrail?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/evanrail/?hl=en Ukrainian Farmer video game https://www.altchar.com/game-news/there-is-a-game-where-farmers-steal-russian-tanks-with-tractors-now-aQe397I50CBV French Culture Property Protection Officer on Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/timleberre Kevin Collins On DC: https://twitter.com/kwcollins/status/1506992056731901959 Austin Graff on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/austinkgraff/?hl=en

Mar 24, 2022 • 57min
Washington, DC
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan and Ryan share their top picks for the best museums, monuments, restaurants, bars, and activities in Washington DC. Plus, you’ll get to hear why Kiernan used to always fall asleep in DC thinking about Ryan’s history of sordid escapades. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Rick Steves stands up to Russiahttps://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/rick-steves-cancels-russia-tours-ukraine Newport Cliff Walk collapsehttps://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/16/metro/collapsed-section-newport-cliff-walk-could-remain-closed-well-past-summer-season/ Smithsonian National Postal Museumhttps://postalmuseum.si.edu/ OOO Interview with Director of the National Postal Museumhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smithsonian-national-postal-museum-with-director/id1438098925?i=1000438061317 National Portrait Galleryhttps://www.si.edu/museums/portrait-gallery The Phillips Collectionhttps://www.phillipscollection.org/ The Great Migration series by Jacob Lawrencehttps://lawrencemigration.phillipscollection.org/the-migration-series/panels/3/from-every-southern-town-migrants-left-by-the-hundreds-to-travel-north The National Museum of African American History and Culturehttps://www.si.edu/museums/african-american-museum Department of the Interior Museumhttps://www.doi.gov/interiormuseum FDR Memorialhttps://washington.org/find-dc-listings/franklin-delano-roosevelt-memorial MLK Memorialhttps://www.nps.gov/mlkm/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm Jefferson Memorialhttps://www.nps.gov/mlkm/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm Theodore Roosevelt Islandhttps://www.nps.gov/this/index.htm Ethiopian foodhttps://dc.eater.com/maps/best-ethiopian-restaurants-dc-map SUNdeVICH Sandwicheshttps://www.sundevich.com/ Zaytinyahttps://www.zaytinya.com/ Teddy and the Bully Barhttps://www.teddyandthebullybar.com/ Lincolnhttps://www.lincolnrestaurant-dc.com/ Busboys and Poetshttps://www.busboysandpoets.com/ The Next Whisky Bar at the Watergate Hotelhttps://www.thewatergatehotel.com/the-next-whisky-bar The Nationals’ Racing Presidentshttps://www.mlb.com/nationals/fans/racing-presidents Georgetown’s “Exorcist” stairshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcist_steps Ryan’s favorite boxer Ryanhttps://www.ksat.com/sports/2022/03/07/inside-the-ring-fight-preview-and-more-with-ryan-garcia-and-oscar-de-la-hoya/ “Greek to Me” by Mary Norrishttps://wwnorton.com/books/Greek-to-Me/

Mar 1, 2022 • 1h 1min
The Gilded Age In New York & Newport With “Bowery Boys” creator Greg Young
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan chats with Greg Young, one half of the creative team behind the New York City history podcast “The Bowery Boys”—one of Kiernan and Ryan’s absolute favorites. Greg talks to us about the new spinoff podcast “The Gilded Gentleman” and where folks can explore the legacy of the Gilded Age around New York City and in Newport, Rhode Island. Things we talked about in today’s episode: Bowery Boys Podcast https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/ The Gilded Gentleman Podcast https://thegildedgentleman.com/ The Gilded Age https://www.hbo.com/the-gilded-age 5th Avenue Millionaire’s Row https://untappedcities.com/2021/10/18/the-gilded-age-5th-avenue-mansions-of-millionaires-row/?displayall=true The Frick Collection https://www.frick.org/ The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum https://www.cooperhewitt.org/ The Gilded Age Filming Locations https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a38820056/the-gilded-age-hbo-filming-locations-historic-house-museums/ Newport Mansions https://www.newportmansions.org/ The Knick https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GVyD7qQNv6oKWYQEAAAHj “How The Other Half Lives” book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Other_Half_Lives The Tenement Museum “Hard Times: 1880s” https://www.tenement.org/tour/hardtimes1880s/ The International Tennis Hall of Fame https://www.halloffameopen.com/tournament-history

Feb 16, 2022 • 38min
China’s New National Park System
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan chats with Bloomberg journalist Karoline Kan about 5 huge new national parks opening up in China. Plus, the boys talk about the removal of the racist Theodore Roosevelt statue from in front of the beloved American Museum of Natural History in New York City and how you can still get a heavy dose of TR on your next visit. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Theodore Roosevelt statue removed from American Museum of Natural History https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/arts/design/theodore-roosevelt-statue-natural-history-museum.html Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Statement https://www.trlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/TRPL-Announcement-Press-Release-FINAL-1.pdf Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/theodore-roosevelt-memorial/hall Bloomberg’s “China is Building the World’s Largest National Park System” by Karoline Kan and Allen Wan https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-12-11/inside-china-s-new-massive-national-park-system Bottom of the Ocean https://www.boto.nyc/

Feb 2, 2022 • 48min
Return of NYT Travel Editor Amy Virshup
On this week’s episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, the Travel Editor of the New York Times Amy Virshup returns to talk about this year’s “52 Places” list. With Covid still making travel unpredictable, this year’s list brings us standout stories of communities that are innovating solutions to overtourism, climate change, and other environmental threats. Things we talked about in today’s podcast: NYT’s “52 Places for a Changed World” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/travel/52-places-travel-2022.html Amy Virshup’s article describing this year’s list: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/10/travel/a-different-kind-of-52.html Rock cairns in the National Parks https://www.nps.gov/articles/rockcairns.htm