We visited Joshua Tree National Park during Thanksgiving of 2017, along with Sequioa & Kings Canyon National Park and Death Valley National Park. The park is located in southern California about 150 miles east of Los Angeles. We spent half a day driving from the south end to the north, occasionally stopping for scenic views. The Hidden valley hike, Skull rock and Cholla gardens are the ones we highly recommend.
The most well known feature of the park is, of course, the Joshua tree. The Joshua tree is actually a giant yucca plant–Yucca Brevifolia–the short leaved yucca. These yuccas may grow as high as 40 feet and the trunks may reach 4 feet in diameter. The joshua trees are believed to surpass 700 years in age.
One of the most striking features of this park is the sublime sunset views. Photographing the cacti in the backdrop of the setting sun and the myriad sunset hues is a treat to the eye.
Cholla cactus garden 
Mini spears!