AMG Retreats Inspire Travel, Wellness & Adventure for Women
For years, Alison Gatz was accustomed to traveling with her family for sports trips, spring breaks, fall breaks and everything in between. But when her oldest daughter moved overseas for veterinary school, Gatz found herself navigating international travel alone for the first time.
What began as a hesitant journey quickly became transformative.
“I was renting cars in foreign countries, driving on the left-hand side of the road, exploring unknown places, all by myself,” she says. “It was intimidating at first, but it was so empowering. I felt alive again.”
That unexpected sense of aliveness lit a spark. If solo travel could shift something so profoundly in her, how many other women might be craving the same kind of awakening? The answer became AMG Retreats, a new travel-focused experience designed specifically for women entering a fresh season of life — empty nesters, career shifters, newly single women or anyone seeking renewed connection, confidence and joy.
Gatz says she uses the word “retreat” loosely. Unlike traditional wellness weekends filled with workshops and worksheets, AMG Retreats focus on three simple pillars: travel, adventure and wellness.
“These trips are not about working through your internal issues or doing deep therapy work,” she says. “They are an avenue for women to get outside the rat race, meet new friends, explore someplace new and step a little outside their comfort zone.”
Each destination includes an element of adventure, such as hiking, snowshoeing, fat-tire biking or other experiences women may not encounter in their daily lives. The Winter Reset Retreat, for example, takes participants to Colorado for snow-filled fun that Midwesterners rarely embrace back home.
“People in Colorado love the snow. They go out and play in it,” Gatz says. “I want women to experience that freedom again, to let themselves be like kids.”
The wellness component is intentionally approachable, offering yoga, meditation and access to retreat centers with modalities such as saunas, cold plunges, red-light therapy and IV infusions. These elements give women a taste of new practices without pressure or expectation.
For Gatz, who recently became an empty nester herself, AMG Retreats speak directly to a need she sees among midlife women — a desire for friendship, identity and connection beyond motherhood and career titles.
“For 26 years, most of my focus was being mom,” she says. “Now that my daughters don’t need me as much, I’m asking myself: ‘What do I want to explore? What are my passions?’ Many women are asking those same questions.”
Friendships also shift during this stage. With kids grown and schedules changing, many women find themselves increasingly isolated. AMG Retreats create intentional spaces for new bonds to form — small groups of 15 to 20 women who will, as Gatz says, “walk away feeling like they just gained a bunch of new best friends.”
One of the cornerstone ideas behind AMG Retreats is removing the fear and logistics of solo travel while still giving women the independence of going on a trip for themselves.
“You’re not carrying everyone else’s passports, you’re not managing anyone else’s luggage. You just get in the car, go to the airport, and it’s all for you,” she says. “That alone is exhilarating.”
While the retreats offer the community of a women’s group, participants reap the empowerment of traveling independently, something many have never done.
Ultimately, Gatz hopes women walk away feeling rejuvenated, brave and reconnected with a part of themselves they may have lost along the way.
“These retreats are for women who feel burnt out, stuck or like they’ve lost their spark,” she adds. “I want them to feel alive again.”
With plans to eventually host three to four retreats each year, AMG Retreats is poised to become a beloved escape — one that blends adventure, wellness and sisterhood into something deeply meaningful for women stepping boldly into their next chapter.
For more information or to sign up for the Winter Reset Retreat, visit amgretreats.com.
