VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Some may not know it, but the world's largest treasure hunt is right outside.
It's called geocaching, and Jeff and Veronica McCormack are addicted. The Virginia Beach couple and their children said the outdoor activity has changed their lifestyle. It’s all about looking for hidden objects using GPS on the Geocaching app.
The objects come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. They can be disguised as rocks or pill bottles. Millions of them are hidden all around the world.
Finding them take a lot of walking, and it can test your patience.
“We spend a lot more time together,” said Veronica McCormack. “It's like a reason to go out and do something together and it’s free. It's a good way to get some exercise.”
Jeff McCormack said Geocaching has had a major positive impact on his health.
"It gets me outside, cause I can go home from work and sit behind a computer all day and all weekend. Now? I can't get out enough," said Jeff McCormack.
“I'm addicted, the kids think we're obsessive. Then we started a Youtube channel.”
One video on their Youtube channel showed the McCormacks and their children doing everything they could to find the Geocache, they even crawled into a sewer.
“Most people would think of it as kind of like a treasure hunt, but there's no real treasure. You're doing it for the game of it,” said Jeff McCormack.
The game ends when you sign and date the object you find, then hide it again for the next person to discover.
“It’s neat to have a reason for the family to do something together," said Veronica McCormack.
The opportunity to step out for an adventure had kept the McCormacks hooked.
“It takes me places I would never have went and didn't even know existed," said Jeff McCormack.
Virginia State Parks have joined in on the hunt, too. Some of them have offered rewards to people who Geocache at one of the parks.