A middle half-day matters because it interrupts fatigue before it stacks
For seniors, the main problem is often not one hard moment but uncollected fatigue from the previous segment.
Putting the lighter window in the middle helps intercept that rise earlier.
A departure-day light block is often just a natural wind-down, not true recovery
Families often feel the last day should be lighter anyway.
But check-out, luggage handling and getting back on the road already consume part of that window.
Middle recovery often protects both the remaining scenic goal and the final exit
Once the pace is flattened in the middle, seniors are more likely to keep a cleaner state for what comes next.
That often matters more than saving the easiest-looking half-day for the end.
Keep the light half-day for the end only when the last day is genuinely soft
If the departure day carries little movement pressure and the earlier schedule is already gentle, a final light half-day can be pleasant.
The real rule is to place recovery where it still has active effect, not where the map merely becomes shorter.