The CO/PCC nationals are in Talladega, Alabama this year at CMP park from the 14th to the 18th of October this year.  

I am registered, but I have questions, and rather than pester the MD personally, I figured I would ask here.

What kind of weather is typical of Alabama in October?  Should I still be planning for heatstroke mitigation, or needing extra layers or below zero morning followed by 80 degrees, what?   Followup, it seems the seasonal pest where I am is going to be buffalo gnats, what should I look out for there?

For those that have shot at the CMP range ((the USPSA bays) Is a Range cart OK from parking to the bays or will I want a golf cart to get to stages?  Follow up, are things like a cart mounted umbrella required, a good idea, unnecessary or verbotten?  Are there roofs/awnings/overhead cover on the bays?

Other than the match, is there anything else in the area that I should not miss?  Hopefully the, er, social unrest prevalent lately will have died down, and places will be open.

When I am choosing my accommodations are there any areas that I should favor or avoid?

Anyone local to Talladega want to chime in and help a fellow arfcommer out?

What else should I know travelling to this match?

Weather is usually jeans and a t-shirt by then, you might need a light pullover in the mornings and evenings/night.

Don't stay in Talladega, look at Pell City right off the interstate or Oxford right off the interstate near the Exchange. Oxford will have more dining options.

If you stay in Oxford, there are 2 great museums in Anniston, a natural science and a world history museum. Top o the River and Mata’s are good seafood and pizza places. I wouldn’t suggest spending much time in Anniston.

If you stay in Pell City, you would have a short drive to Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum and their racetrack. You could visit their motorcycle museum, I think it is the largest vintage motorcycle/Motorsport museum with over 1,600 pieces on display.

It is possible for us to have very warm days that late but Heycoach nailed what you should expect.

Pulling a wagon or small cart is not a bad idea from your car to the range is likely to be 200+ yards and the bays are widely spaced.  Umbrella is fine too.   This is a very spacious range, not a crowded environment.  Lots of open area behind the firing lines.

I hope we get those perfect sunny comfortable Alabama October days for your match.  Good chance we will.

Really no reason for you to go down to Talladega proper, as the range is several miles north of town.  As Heycoach says, safest hotel bets are the major chains in Pell City and Oxford, or the Holiday Inn Express at the AL hwy 77 exit.

The Berman museum cited in Anniston is quite interesting.  If you are a 4WD enthusiast I can point out some great forest roads nearby in the Talladega National Forrest that are worthy.

Not many mom and pop restaurants in Oxford, but they do have a ton of chains. No good bbq restaurants. Traffic is pretty heavy around the Exchange.

Talladega has a good place to eat, Stampede Steakhouse, but they’re kinda slow.

Pell City has a less selection of restaurants. Fairly decent bbq restaurants around plus a good one in a gas station.

Lincoln has a Cajun steakhouse called Rick’s Crossroads that is good (I guess it still is, haven’t eaten there in a few years), and that’s about it.

billbotts, are you talking about the Holiday Inn Express in Talladega?

Rick's Crossroads is very good, not sure if they have survived the pandemic, haven't been in a year.

I recently got a thumbs up from somebody who stayed at the Holiday Inn Express there in Lincoln at Hwy. 77 right on the interstate, not the one in town.