Family From Scotland Finds Community, Fun In Arlington

ARLINGTON, TX — Lee, Louisa, Liberty and Lincoln Vann-Wakelin have been planning their trip to Arlington for several months. And despite being from the United Kingdom, travel to the United States is nothing new for the family, whom Lee described as "wee adventurers."

Born in London but having lived with his family in Scotland for 22 years, Lee and his wife once worked in New York and Los Angeles. The family has also taken a road trip on Route 66 from Chicago to the West Coast.

But one place they had never visited was Arlington, Texas.
One might wonder what would call a family from Dumfries, Scotland, to a town like Arlington, and even Lee admits it wasn't his first choice. The family knew they wanted to take a grand vacation in 2018, but with the recent addition of three foster children, the Vann-Wakelin family knew the voyage wouldn't be cheap.

"I priced up a European holiday for us in 2018, and it was going to cost us double any previous European holidays as we now required two rooms, and of course, six flights each way," Lee told Patch. "I tried and tried every angle to get a bargain, and the figure was always too large. So I said to Louisa, 'if I'm paying that much for a holiday, its gonna be another adventure.'"

The family conferred and, with the help of 10-year-old Lincoln, settled on Chicago. Lee bought season tickets for Six Flags Great America, picked a hotel and began researching flights. But an unexpected financial speed bump threw a kink in the family's plan.

"In January of this year, the very month we were to book the Chicago hotel, we were forced to replace our family car," he told Patch. "Five kids sort of does make you change your four-seater car. This delay in booking our hotel by one month meant that the Chicago hotel had increased three times over."

Fearing the whole vacation was for naught, Lee contacted the Six Flags in Chicago to ask for a refund on the season passes.

No can do, Six Flags told Lee. But there was a silver lining yet.

The week in which Lee purchased the tickets happened to coincide with the park's free upgrade program. With an upgraded season pass, the Vann-Wakelin family had access to any of Six Flag's parks, nationwide.

While this discovery came as great news to Lee and Louisa, other family members weren't so sure.

"The park in Arlington ticked a few boxes we needed," Lee said. "It was near an airport our budget courier flew to, and it also had hotels nearby which were within our budget. Quick as a flash, I booked the hotel and flights, bang... boom... holiday all sorted."

But when Lee told his parents they were taking a trip to Arlington, his father retorted with a misguided apprehension.

"I went to my parents the following day and told them we were now going to Arlington," he said. "They asked 'the cemetery?'"

"Erhhh, no dad," Lee retorted. "It's the place between Dallas and Fort Worth."

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What Travel Can Do

Travel is about more than taking a break from work for the Vann-Wakelin family.

Lincoln was Lee and Louisa's firstborn son. The couple knew they wanted another kid but, as Lee put it, "Louisa and I tried for almost 10 years to have a second child, but something was stopping us."

In the meantime, the couple began taking in foster children ranging in age from babies to teens, their stays with the Vann-Wakelin family lasting from days to years.

All the while, Lincoln struggled with a condition called Selective Mutism, an anxiety disorder that affects the way children communicate in social settings. His father said quality time with his foster brothers and sisters have helped Lincoln become a "happy, cheeky" kid.

But more than anything else, Lee said travel aided in Lincoln's adjustment, as well as that of his young peers.

"We have had some stay for a few days others a few years. And what happens every time is we sort of check to see what has this young person not accessed in life," Lee said. "Have they been to a farm, to a beach, on a train, to a theme park, a cinema and so on? Then, in the time that we have them we slowly, or sometimes as quick as we can, tick off these small milestones."

A family trip across the United States in 2016 was also beneficial for Lee and Louisa, especially in their endeavor to have another kid of their own.

With the downturn in and eventual closure of their business in 2017, the couple had been far too stressed to conceive, Lee said. But less than two weeks after closing their business, Louisa discovered she was pregnant.

"We were graced with three young Foster children too, so when Liberty was born last year we'd grown to a family with five kids," Lee said.

The family of seven's vacation was approaching.

The American Dream City

Anyone who has traveled abroad without a tour guide or specific itinerary knows how hard it can be to arrange a trip — especially with five kids. That, of course, held true for the Vann-Wakelin family.

After explaining to his dad that he was not, in fact, taking his family on a 17-day vacation to Arlington National Cemetery, Lee was struck with the realization that he truly knew nothing about Arlington, Texas, lovingly dubbed the American Dream City.

"I had no idea where I was going," he said. "I was taking my wife, son, daughter and three more wee ones to Arlington, Texas. At this stage, I started looking into everything: where we could tour, what to see, how bloody big Texas is."

But who knows Arlington better than the people who live in the city, he asked himself. So he did a quick search on Facebook and found "Arlington Texas Talk," an online group that lets residents discuss local news and updates. He asked to join the private group.

"I was accepted and started asking simple things like 'is it a nice area, what is there to do, where is the best BBQ?" Lee said. "People were just so nice in return, letting me know that the weather was going to be like — frighteningly hot, dry and uncomfortable. They advised of places to take the kids."

Lee, now a familiar face in "Arlington Texas Talk" picked up the nickname UK Lee as he rubbed shoulders with the locals, many of whom identified with his family's plight. And in addition to offering up helpful travel tips, one page administrator helped assemble a meet and greet for the family upon arrival.

"We have had many, many people send me private messages saying if we are stuck when there to ask for help or advice," he said. "Louisa, my wife, said that it was all so overwhelming how nice everyone has been, and Lincoln is chuffed there is a meet and greet, and for a 10-year-old to be excited about that is pleasing."

Lee and his family arrived at the meet and greet on Sunday, July 8, to a group of people eagerly awaiting their arrival and temperatures climbing up to a toasty 94 degrees. And despite the weather being "hot, hot, hot," the Vann-Wakelin family and their children enjoyed spending the day with locals in Don Misenheimer Park.

"What more can I say, Louisa and I met so many fantastically kind people," Lee wrote in Arlington Texas Talk after the meet and greet. "We really wish we had hours to spend with each of you, as your love and welcome to us was beyond warming. Louisa was so, so happy at meeting you all and being able to share the Scottish treats... I really hope you as a community can find more ways to meet and honour each other as you all were amazing. I'm already thinking we could come by annually, just for the meet alone lol. Huge thanks for the many thoughtful gifts too; it was never needed, but meant so much... Y'all all in our hearts now."

Lead image, left to right: Louisa, Liberty, Lincoln and Lee Vann-Wakelin, via Lee Vann-Wakelin, used with permission.