Pioneer Quest, The final episode -- Our Laura Ingalls Wilder Forum

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Date Posted: 19:53:32 05/26/03 Mon
Author: Ann
Subject: Pioneer Quest, The final episode

I can see why with Frontier House they had the people only prepare for the winter, but not stay there for the winter. For one thing, there wasn't a lot to show. The PQ read a lot, sewed, got cabin fever. Of course, they still had to milk the cow, feed the chickens, and horses, cook, clean and wash clothes, but they split those chores, and ended up with a lot of time on their hands.
Of course, if they'd really been staying on a homestead they would most likely have been looking ahead to planting their spring crops again, maybe buidling a bigger barn, etc. But they weren't staying, so started thinking about going back to the "real world."
The older woman did walk through a snow storm to go to a funeral. The snow finally let up in April, but when it melted it flooded the road, and, worse, flooded their root cellars. They had to take the food out, can the deer meat (which they discovered made it taste better the next time they cooked it) and put their vegetables in the tent in which they originally stayed. Then, of course, it snowed again, and froze the vegetables. So they had to cut off the frozen parts and salvage what they could. But by that time they weren't going to be there much longer. It would have been a much bigger problem for real pioneers!
Finally, they cleaned out their cabins, giving a lot of the stuff to neighbors, taking things such as quilts and some other items they made. Then a limousine came to pick them up to take them home!
People lined the roads to wave at them. They stopped and gave a press conference. They stopped at a large drug store and loaded up on deodorant (which they started putting on right inside the store!), and toothbrushes and toothpast, etc. They went right outside and brushed their teeth. They said baking soda just didn't cut it.
They they spent the night in a nice motel. They luxuriated on real mattresses, in the tub (the older man took a bubble bath). Then the next day they were taken to a beauty salon for hair cuts and styling. The older woman looked so much better with "modern" hair and just a touch of makeup. She even had a pedicure.
The older couple seemed to really wonder how they'd readjust to the real world. They were both going back to jobs and the "rat race." The younger couple didn't know yet what they wanted to do, but felt their time as pioneers had given them more options than they'd once considered. (Sounds like Nate and his wife from FH).
But then that was it! There was no follow up a few months later as they did on FH. I would really liked to have seen how and what they were doing after they'd been back for a while.

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Replies:

[> Re: Pioneer Quest, The final episode -- Anne, 06:42:56 05/27/03 Tue

Hi Ann,

thanks for keeping us all informed of what was happening on Pioneer Quest; I found your descriptions of the weekly events very interesting. I am especially grateful to you as I have no hope whatsoever of this turning up on Australian tv!

I too think that a follow-up would be very interesting - just to see how they adjusted to life as they knew it and if they made many changes to their lives because of their experience as a 'pioneer'.

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Re: Pioneer Quest, The final episode -- LisaE, 22:27:46 07/10/03 Thu

I had never had a chance to watch the show, they've shown it again on PBS? and I think it's on the history channel as well. Anyways, I was able to watch the episode tonight and it was about the players lives now. There were some short clips back to show. The older couple, the Treadways, I think the name was, are missing the "simpleness" of the pioneer life. They live in a log cabin (a modern one:). Really Nice! They're local celebrities and do speaking engagements and teaching about pioneer life. They're also writing a book (the husband says there'll be "no dirt") and have sold some of the they had made and used on the show at their own personal yard sale. They do seem to be taking their 15 min. and running with it. The younger couple, ended up going back to Manitoba, lived with the director for awhile (before finding their own place). The husband tried going back to school but ended up quitting because he wasn't seeing a lot of his wife. They said they really enjoyed and were used to eachother's company after being on the show. They're not writing any book (someone offered to write one for them-in the end they said no) and bought a house with the money from the show. They did a couple talk shows in Toronto. They basically said it was year they won't ever forget but it's time to get back to *normal* life.

Sorry so long:) it seemed like the show was interesting. Did anyone who watched this series watch Frontier house? which did you like better.

ps-In the end they all went back with the director to visit their cabins, before they were moved to a museum. And wow, tons of mosquitos!!! the director said the crew had the repellant on but the players never wore it.

I could never last on a show like that.

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[> Re: Pioneer Quest, The final episode -- delilah, 19:40:06 07/13/03 Sun

Ann,

I saw the final episode, or at least the final 30 minutes. It was funny watching them go back to reality. I laughed when they put deodorant on in the store!!

I wondered why they didn't have a follow-up, too. All they showed was the parade. It needed a little more.

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