Christmas Book Gift Recommendations 2025

On this special Halloween episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan sits down with iconic Latin American horror writer Mariana Enriquez to discuss her travel book, Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys, and her decades-long fascination with cemeteries, from the spooky to the historical. Books by Mariana: Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761779/somebody-is-walking-on-your-grave-by-mariana-enriquez-translated-by-megan-mcdowell/ Things We Lost in the Fire: Four Graphic Stories https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538696/things-we-lost-in-the-fire-four-graphic-stories-by-mariana-enriquez/ Our Share of Night https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538697/our-share-of-night-by-mariana-enriquez/ Past Halloween Episodes: Salem, MA and the Witch Trials https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/salem-ma-and-the-witch-trials/id1438098925?i=1000539992422 Haunted Places https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/haunted-places/id1438098925?i=1000584472529 The Last Stop: Ryan: Rick Steves Casually Reviews Dangerous Fantasy Locations https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/rick-steves-casually-reviews-dangerous-fantasy-locations Kiernan: C Is for Chupacabra https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948066831?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan and his family head to Chicago to explore playgrounds, kid-friendly museums, hot dogs, and Presidential Centers (okay, just one Presidential Center.) Plus, Pope Leo is a looker! Things We Talked About: First Trip to Chicago Episode https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/first-trip-to-chicago/id1438098925?i=1000662387126 Devil Dawgs https://www.devildawgs.com/ Williams Inn https://www.williamsinnpizza.com/ Giordano's https://giordanos.com/ Firecakes Donuts https://firecakesdonuts.com/ Doughnut Vault https://www.doughnutvault.com/ Maggie Daley Park https://www.maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/play-garden Lincoln Park Zoo https://www.lpzoo.org/ Field Museum https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/sue-t-rex Mold-a-Rama https://www.mold-a-rama.com/ Griffin Museum of Science and Industry https://www.griffinmsi.org/ The U-Boat https://www.griffinmsi.org/exhibits/u-505-submarine Swiss Jollyball https://www.griffinmsi.org/exhibits/swiss-jolly-ball 606 Trail https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/606 Bird Eyes Art on The 606 https://www.wpr.org/shows/to-the-best-of-our-knowledge/100-bird-eyes-are-watching-you Obama Presidential Center https://obama.org/visit/ Pope Leo's Birthday Statue https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/09/08/tallest-statue-pope-leo-peru/ Lucas Museum of Narrative Art https://lucasmuseum.org/

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Ryan heads to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! He takes in the city's beaches, mountains, museums, historic sites, restaurants, natural wine bars, and more, with everything you need to know for your first trip to Rio. Things We Talked About: History Book Brazil: A Biography https://www.amazon.com/dp/0374280495 Attractions + Culture Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) https://bondinho.com.br/ Christ the Redeemer + Corcovado Train https://www.tremdocorcovado.rio/ Cais do Valongo https://www.rio.rj.gov.br/web/muhcab/cais-do-valongo-patrimonio-mundial Real Gabinete Português de Leitura https://www.realgabinete.com.br/ Paço Imperial http://www.pacoimperial.com.br/ Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro https://www.gov.br/jbrj/pt-br Museums MAM Rio https://mam.rio/ Museu da República — Palácio do Catete https://www.gov.br/museus/pt-br/museus-ibram/museu-da-republica Museu Nacional https://museunacional.ufrj.br/ Restaurants Talho Café https://talhocapixaba.com.br/ Casa do Chef Jota https://www.casadochefjota.com.br/ Artigiano https://restauranteartigiano.com/ Quinta da Henriqueta https://www.instagram.com/quintadahenriqueta/ Haru Sushi Bar https://haruichiban.com.br/ Mocellin Steak https://www.mocellinsteak.com.br/ OCYÁ Ilha (Taking a Boat!) https://ocya.com.br/ Wine Virtuoso Vinho https://www.instagram.com/virtuosovinho/ Casa Tão Longe, Tão Perto (Botafogo) https://www.instagram.com/casatltp.botafogo/ Belisco Bar de Vinhos (Botafogo) https://www.instagram.com/belisco.rj/ Cocktails Babbo Osteria https://www.instagram.com/babboosteria/ ÊTTA Bar https://www.instagram.com/etta_bar/ Coffee Coffee Five https://coffeefive.com.br/ LAB Café https://www.instagram.com/labcafe.rio/ The Last Stop Ryan: Dolly Parton + Great Smoky Mountains https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/knoxville-the-great-smoky-mountains/id1438098925?i=1000495407828 Kiernan: Rick Steves Purchases Edmonds Theater https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/rick-steves-purchases-edmonds-theater-moviehouse/

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan heads back to London for the first time post-COVID—with his mother! The two revisit old standbys, new attractions, and musicals, musicals, musicals! Things We Talked About: Harbor Country in Michigan https://www.bonappetit.com/story/where-to-eat-harbor-country-southwestern-michigan?srsltid=AfmBOopMgZXXv0akMPuyVKPCwWrPAI2f7GlZ6apBb3rrjyT3faojo_j4 Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop https://www.pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk/ Oliver https://oliverthemusical.com/ Six https://sixthemusical.com/london/ Operation Mincemeat https://operationmincemeat.com/ Churchill War Rooms https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms V&A East Storehouse https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visit#things-to-see-and-do LIDAR podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-archeological-tech-is-rewriting-everything-we-know/id1237796990?i=1000784018446 Big Bend Construction https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/us/big-bend-border-wall-texas-construction.html

This week on the pod, the boys talk about New York State's Odyssey, from Troy to Ithaca in about two hours. Also, Ryan interviews historian Daniel Koch about why so many upstate towns have classical names. Things Talked About on the pod: