I still have scars on my legs from hiking in the desert with shorts on. There's a tree-ish plant called a "cat's claw acacia", which has these blades of doom all over it, and it grows everywhere. You don't realize you've been sliced up until you notice the blood running down your legs. Good times.

And I'll be happy to come along on the next trip, but I have nearly zero interest in seeing Joshua trees. Add in the fact that I'm still broke as hell, and it's a no-go. But if you like the desert enough to want to go back after this upcoming trip, I'll gladly suggest some out-of-the-way type spots. Good scenery, no tourists.

That also means, of course, that there's no trails or helpful signs. How do you feel about getting most of your daily water intake from cacti?