During the heyday of the American automobile at mid-20th century, Americans travelled by highway in great numbers. Family vacations often involved piling into the auto to "see the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet." But long trips became tedious, and what better way to shorten a long trip than by playing a travel board game? Specialty firms produced these small versions of familiar games in great numbers. Famous mapmakers Rand McNally produced some, likely for sale at service stations already selling the firm's maps. Other firms produced versions of auto bingo, played by marking a space when a player spotted "a red car," or a "pig" in the landscape as it sped by. Novelty features such as magnets made games of chess possible, and some game examples promoted their ability to keep kids occupied and thus protect parents' sanity.