Camping at front or tail of trip?

[Anonymous]

We will be camping for two night either before or after two nights at a nice hotel in a resort town. I can’t decide what to do first!

We will have a car. We will have a cooler for icing down moderately perishable foods (lunch meat, milk) and will be eating out for dinner (pizza, tavern nearby.)

My rational mind says to get the camping “out of the way” first, but I’m afraid by the end we may all be too hot/tired/sore/??? to enjoy the resort town. I’m just picturing us rolling in all disheveled after two night of tent camping.

But at the same time, two nights of camping sounds absolutely torturous after two nights at a really nice hotel. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Id do camping first

[Anonymous]

I'd do the camping first. I think your reasoning about that is sound.

[Anonymous]

Camping first. Also works better for food, you can stock up your cooler before you leave rather than at the resort town.

Do all the rough/dirty stuff first, and then get pampered and relax for the end.

[Anonymous]

Check the weather, but if possible I’d do the camping first, especially if you don’t love camping. It feels great to sleep in a bed after a few nights in a tent!

[Anonymous]

Camping first

[Anonymous]

We have done this- Camping first. Feels so good to relax and have a nice shower after camping.

[Anonymous]

I always do camping first and then the nice hotel afterward feels like heaven. But there was one trip where DH sunburned in the desert, making his massage at the hotel less enjoyable.

[Anonymous]

I vote first also

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have done this- Camping first. Feels so good to relax and have a nice shower after camping.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have done this- Camping first. Feels so good to relax and have a nice shower after camping.

Caping first - means fewer days without a shower.

But I say this as someone who hates camping so YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Camping first. Also works better for food, you can stock up your cooler before you leave rather than at the resort town.

Do all the rough/dirty stuff first, and then get pampered and relax for the end.

This. We had similar experience where our fancy hotel was towards the end of our travel and it felt so re-energizing to get a luxurious bed, pool, spa after camping. It’ll feel like heaven and you’ll enjoy it much more.

You’ll hate the camping after the resort town.

[Anonymous]

You're never too "tired/sore" to enjoy a resort, but you're guaranteed to feel the let down in camping after a stay at a resort.

How is this even a question?

[Anonymous]

Do camping first. Go rugged first. Make simple meals.
We usually do camping for 2-3 nights first to satisfy the ones that enjoy it more than me. Don't shower if we don't have to. And when we leave, we enjoy the showers and hot meals a good bed at the end of the trip.