What is the oldest thing you've seen in person? The Sphinx? Pyramids? Something else?

"Billion year old". I just got shivers reading your answer Ele. Of course I watch the history channel and sometimes they visit very old sites. But that is kinda like watching a movie. The viewer is at a distance. Did you get goosebumps? I'm serious. I'm pretty sure I would. Where were they located? Thank you for your reply! :)

Grand canyon. Oldest visible rock formations are at the bottom. Almost 2 billion years old.
This post was edited by Element 99 at November 6, 2017 7:46 AM MST

Thank you so much for your answer and the graphic which is AWESOME! Wow! "Tonto" group? Is the Lone Ranger near by? And isn't Vishnu an Indian (India not Native American) god/goddess? The "Kabab" formation makes me think of shish kebab...you know meat on skewers. The names are very colorful. It is really helpful to see a graphic like this. Thanks again Ele. I do appreciate it a lot! :)

If you've never seen it, put it on your bucket list. My jaw dropped when I saw it.

Many years ago we drove by it Ele on our way to someplace else. I mean I'm in California so it's right next door in an adjoining state. Okay. You know Jim's oldest son and his daughter-in-law live in Buckeye, Arizona. Maybe sometime when we visit them we can take a trip to the Grand Canyon. Honestly I don't have a bucket list but I will start one and guess what will be at the top of the list? I think starting with the most feasible likely things is best. Then you can move on to the harder-to-do. Thank you for your reply! This post was edited by RosieG at November 4, 2017 7:01 AM MDT

Arizona has a town, a basin, a forest, two parks, and several other items named "Tonto".

I can confirm Vishnu is a hindu God, yes. First time I've seen this picture too and not entirely sure myself why they're called Vishnu basement rocks but Hinduism is the world's oldest religion that is still practised, I believe. 

Look at the Rocky Mountains. They started to form 80 million years ago. You are right next door to them.

 Oh that's so sweet. Of course your papa never lies. Thank you for your reply NJ and Happy Saturday! :) ((hugs))

Your idea of "old" and mine are not the same. Are you gonna spring for $1000 for the new Apple phone? Thank you for your reply Strange and Happy Saturday! :)

Oh my gosh you have actually been to Stonehenge?  Climbed up and sat on one of the famous "sentinels"? Wow. Did you get goosebumps ? Thank you for your reply and Happy Sunday! :)

Anything BILLIONS of years old shuhak? That dike made of rose-quartz sounds awesomely beautiful. I expect people are not allowed to bring knives/chisels/axes to hack off a piece. I think it is also illegal to take any samples from the Petrified Forest. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)

I don't know about billions as this mountain range is only a few hundred million years old.  There are a few remnants of ancient volcanoes here, but I don't know their age.  The one on the summit is fun to climb.  You see, all this (except for the redwood trees) is/was right here where I live.  

From the road one can't see the dike as it's hidden in dense forest.  Not many people even know (or care) that it exists.  It wasn't until my college geology professor showed it to me that I knew it was there... and I'd been past it numerous times.  Since one side of the steep, narrow, winding mountain road that goes past it is a sheer drop off (few thousand feet down) with no guard rails, hardly anyone is looking for a rock formation.  They have more important things to watch out for (deer, bears, falling rocks, icy spots, cars coming up the mountainside)  The rock isn't polished and shiny, it's simply a dirty, moss-covered wall of rock jetting out of the ground.  It's not until you scrape away the moss, tree needles and dirt that you see it's all rose quartz.

I've never seen the petrified forest.  What I saw was was dug out by hydraulic mining.  The water from the mining created a river which exposed the trees far from the mining sites.  Once the area was open to the public (via logging roads), all the petrified logs/trees quickly disappeared (even i have a few pieces of it in my yard).  A few of the larger pieces still exist as landscaping in old houses around here.  Sadly, the area where it was is now used for 4-wheeling and drunken parties.

Thank you for a very informative and comprehensive reply. You live near it? Sounds as if you live in a paradise! "Dense forest" sounds inviting/intriguing and also a little bit scary too! You took Geology in college? Just for fun or do you work in that field? Happy Sunday shuhak! :)

I took nearly every science class they offered - just for fun.  Nope, I never went into the science fields.  I was a department manager in a grocery store for 29 years, but a stress-induced injury ended that a few years ago.   

I only took whatever science classes were required. But for years now I have been fascinated with/by quantum physics. I have maybe a couple dozen books written by physicists, all of which I've read. They're basically written for people like me who aren't physicists. My favorite literary genre is science fiction and quantum physics is a playground for such stories. Had I know I was gonna love it I might have taken physics. Now I don't think I'm smart enough to be a physicist but if I were that would be what I would have wanted to do with my life. Ya never know what's out there that will grab you! Hope your injury isn't painful m'dear. Pain is a bit**! Thank you for your reply shuhak and Happy Monday! :)