31 December 2023, Pilgrim’s Rest
Royal Hotel R700

Charl asked Google BARD to tell us the story of Pilgrim's Rest as briefly as possible. Below is the BARD's entertaining response.
--
Gold fever struck! 1873, whispers led fortune seekers to dusty Pilgrim's Rest. Shafts clawed earth, tents sprouted, saloons roared. Miners of all stripes chased dreams in pans of glittering hope. But gold, fickle lover, waned. By 1900, silence draped the town, mines coughed their last. Yet, history wouldn't sleep. 1970s, a resurrection - Pilgrim's Rest, reborn as a living museum, streets echoing with tales of the past. Today, wander wood-paneled stores, sip sarsaparilla in dusty saloons, feel the whispers of forgotten dreams. Beyond, waterfalls cascade, canyons yawn. Pilgrim's Rest - a golden echo in time's embrace.

***
We met this man manning one of several small museums in Pilgrim's. A sign outside the door stated that tickets should be purchased at the Information Centre and that "Paying entrance fees to the museum caretaker is encouraging criminal conduct". We asked him if he found the sign insulting, but he defended it, saying it did not apply to him. He has lived in Pilgrim's for 18 years, acts as museum caretaker for two weekends a month and manages the sweet shop near the Royal Hotel two weekends a month. He told us, as have several others, that tourism has slowly begun to recover post-Covid, but that visitors clearly still do not have a lot of disposable income - very much a case of look-dont-buy.
He also told us about the role Afriforum played in the town's rescue and revival. Pilgrim's Rest is a national museum owned by the Department of Public Works. Businesses are contracted to the department. By 2012, 14 shops were standing empty and the town was dying. The department decided to evict all then-business "owners" and began a deeply-flawed tender process. Afriforum stepped in to stop the evictions and ensure an accountable tender process. Today the shops are contracted to a mix of black and white "owners" and the town is looking good. According to the Royal Hotel manager, the town is particularly popular with French tour bus groups.
--
Wishing you all a fulfilling 2024!