Escapees January-February 2024

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features 36 RVSolar2 BY DAVID HUTCHISON AND SHARI GALIARDI Build a solar array: Tips for choosing solar panel styles and wattages 40 The Joy of Citrus BY EVANNE SCHMARDER The story of citrus is far from exclusive to Florida; it’s one of the oldest cultivated fruit crops, with a history reaching back centuries. 44 Sedona, Arizona BY EMILY FAGAN The vistas around Sedona are breathtaking, and it is worthwhile simply to drive around town and relish the dramatic views at every turn. 50 Navigating Social Security Claiming Strategies and Maximizing Bene fi ts BY ANDY EVANS For proper planning, you need to understand some basics of how bene fi ts are calculated. 53 Escapees Smartweigh Program BY DAVID BROAD Several issues are of concern when overloading your rig. 58 Consider Camp Hosting or Volunteering BY LES JONES Could you see yourself learning to milk a cow, gathering warm,

On the Cover PHOTO BY MIKE CORNELL #149436

Sarah Cornell submitted this photo for our “View fi nder” painted-sky topic, noting that it was taken at KOFA Wildlife Refuge, in Yuma, Arizona, in March 2023. She says, “We loved the peacefulness of boondocking in KOFA. Just look at the outline of the mountains.”

newly laid eggs from the hen house, baking bread in a wood fi red oven, rustling up a lost sheep, operating machinery or tending a vegetable garden?

04 Honoring the life of former Escapees magazine editor, Janice Lasko #14104

ESCAPEES Magazine January/February 2024 2