The stunning, once-in-a-lifetime camping road trip I just took through the Four-Corners and Southeast Utah is still on my mind. This year’s theme was Utah Frisson. Frisson is a physical response to something amazing, like art, a speech, or nature. I chose the theme because its definition also fits being scared and excited at the same time. And, I always feel both excited and anxious before I take my pups roadtrippin’. As my wonderful Honda Fit and I age, I think it is more intense.

Going back to frisson as a “chills up the spine” definition, did I really feel frisson on the trip? Or was it awe? According to Google AI, “Frisson is a physical and emotional response to powerful stimuli, while awe is a broader emotional state that can sometimes be triggered by the same stimuli.” I definitely felt a lot of awe.

But there was something else? There were stops we made just to see Utah icons that I had seen at least a few times before. I noticed that the more familiarity I had to a place, or the more touristy it felt, the less emotional my response. An icon is something that describes society’s reaction to a place, not my own.

To connect it all back together, I want to rate each stop from 1-10 (10 being the highest) for frisson, awe, and iconic value. I am going with my gut reactions over time. Again, frisson seems to drop once my brain has normalized an experience. So, I am going with a gut average for this trip. Let’s go.

Hovenweep main trail ruins: Frisson – 3, Awe – 10, Iconic – 2.

The tornadoes at Hovenweep: Frisson 8, Awe 10+, Iconic 0.

This is hard because I definitely felt a deep emotional response while hiking to safety, but IDK if it was really frisson or fear? Once back at the Visitor’s Center, it was more frisson because I felt safe and mesmerized watching the storm. I got a few goosebumps looking at some of the photos after I got home – definitely an emotional reaction.

Sand Canyon Petroglyphs: Frisson – 0, Awe – 8, Iconic – 2.

Goosenecks State Park: Frisson – 2, Awe – 6, Iconic – 4.

Forrest Gump Point/Monument Valley: Frisson – 0, Awe – 6, Iconic – 10.

Navajo National Monument: Frisson – 3, Awe – 8, Iconic – 2.

For me, the frisson comes from looking over the canyon to the Betatakin ruins.

Horseshoe Bend: Frisson – 1, Awe – 8, Iconic -10.

If you had asked me on my first trip in 2015 it would be Frisson – 9, Awe – 10, Iconic – 5. Emotional responses change over time.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: Frisson – 0, Awe – 8, Iconic – 2.

Red/Bryce Canyon: Frisson – 2, Awe – 9, Iconic – 9.

Kodachrome State Park: Frisson – 2, Awe – 9, Iconic – 2.

Grand Staircase National Monument: Frisson – 6, Awe – 10, Iconic – 5.

Goblin Valley State Park: Frisson: – 2, Awe – 8, Iconic – 8.

Dead Horse Point State Park: Frisson – 4, Awe – 9, Iconic – 8.

Green River Campground: Frisson – 0, Awe – 3, Iconic – 1

So, the totals say the tornado and Grand Staircase were the highest frisson (goosebumps) of the trip. (The places where I caught the most “friss” on my frisson trip.) Awe definitely occurred more often than frisson. Awe was everywhere I looked and is often a precursor to frisson. The most iconic stops were Monument Valley and Horseshoe Bend – both famous “selfie” spots.

What lessons do I draw from this? Awe and nature go together, and the impressive, one-of-a-kind geology of Utah is freaking awesome! Perhaps awe is the precursor to both frisson and becoming an icon. Frisson is a personal experience; everyone will score things differently. Awe is a broader response of wonder and amazement. Many, if not most, people will experience awe while driving through Southeastern Utah. Iconic scenes are determined by a culture’s response and are not a personal experience. It took many people finding awe and/or frisson at a place for it to become an icon. But, once an icon it may inhibit frisson? Thoughts?

For more Frisson, try new places away from the crowds. I have a fear of heights, so safe overlooks tend to trigger frisson for me. But if I have viewed the same overlook multiple times, my brain no longer has the intense reaction. If I want more iconic stops, I look up how many people are posting photos of the place online or I research tourist trends.

Interested in more info on my stops? Please click the names (above) to visit my full blog with more photos.

And that wraps up another camping year for the Three Amigas and me. There will be local hikes through fall, and we will return to Moab in the late winter. Please follow our page to join our journeys past and present.

Until the fall hikes happen, Grandma Cathy