HARLINGEN, TX – Based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexican cosplayer Momo Naberrie introduced her cosplay account on Instagram on Star Wars Day, May 4, 2020, wearing a Jedi outfit and carrying a blue lightsaber.

“I was a little bit afraid to [share those costumes]. Because in my mind, people will have two reactions. People love it, or people hate it,” Momo said. Exactly one year after launching her Instagram, Momo’s presence has grown to 3,017 followers and counting. The cosplayer continues to create and share Star Wars-related content. One piece of content stands out against the rest: Momo’s La Catrina Amidala costumes.

The La Catrina Amidala costumes are a combination of traditional Queen Amidala clothing from the Star Wars Prequels (Episodes I-III), paired with the striking and unique makeup of La Catrina, a symbol of Dia de Los Muertos of the tall female skeleton wearing a fancy hat with feathers.

The post 💀 How a Designer Finds Beauty & Meaning in a Cosplay Mashup appeared first on Go Gulf States.

As if the fiery sunsets along the South Texas Gulf weren’t enough, South Padre Island caps off certain summer evenings with a sparkly show. SPI wasn’t proclaimed by the Texas Senate as “The Fireworks Capital of Texas” for nothin’!

This story was launched for July 4, but the fun doesn’t stop mid-summer. Click through to see where and when the magical light shows happen each week throughout the rest of the season – even beyond Labor Day. – Editor

There is no better way to end your day on Texas’ only tropical island than to watch fireworks reflect off the bayside at Laguna Madre or on the beach, over the Gulf of Mexico. Weekly fireworks on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are launched from different locations which may be viewed from many points across the island.

Click through for specific times and locations.

The post Four Easy Ways to Ignite the Night All Summer Long on SPI appeared first on Go Gulf States.

South Texas shares an interesting kinship with punk rock, goth, and heavy metal. From the Rio Grande Valley, across the Coastal Bend, along the Gulf Coast to Houston and East Texas, this bond spans ages, cultures, and genders. But the kinship is not always a cozy one. It’s less a blend of cultures in the largely Latinx region, than a collision. Read this perspective from a Latina rocker who cut her rock & roll teeth at a very young age. – Editor

It was an intense night in the Rio Grande Valley with cover bands that were the Latino versions of AC/DC, Guns n’ Roses, and Metallica. I was 11-years-old. This was not exactly your typical experience for an elementary kid. Yet there I was: little Raven bobbing her head up and down, very off-beat (and feeling a little sweaty), but entranced by the huge crowd that formed a buzzing ocean of excitement.

From that point on I kept listening to rock in its many forms including thrash metal, grunge, and punk. A few favorites were The Clash, Nirvana, Iron Maiden, and Pearl Jam. When I hit puberty I became more visually expressive about my music tastes, which included wearing black leather jackets, layering on heavy eyeliner, and cutting my hair scandalously short – that didn’t get a great reaction.

The post The Uneasy Truth About My Life as a Latina Rocker appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Poppy • Photo by The Turtle Hospital

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX – A new Loggerhead sea turtle has just arrived at South Padre Island’s Sea Turtle, Inc.

Poppy, a non-releasable Loggerhead, hails from The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, where she arrived in May 2020, according to the South Florida Reporter. Poppy was struck by a boat propeller in the Florida Keys, severing her back left flipper and damaging her shell. She can no longer dive for food, unable to control her buoyancy. 

Poppy arrived at Sea Turtle, Inc. on Sunday, Sept. 26, via a private plane commissioned by Turtles Fly Too, a non profit that specializes in the relocation of endangered or threatened animals. The nearly five-hour flight to Texas was necessary, because, even after the treatment she received at The Turtle Hospital, she can’t be released. 

The post Welcome Home, Poppy: Sea Turtle Inc. Adopts Non-Releasable Florida Sea Turtle appeared first on Go Gulf States.

A company founded by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is proposing to build a tunnel between Isla Blanca Park and Boca Chica Beach, in an apparent solution to Highway 4’s recurring closures. 

The Boring Company met with Cameron County officials last month proposing the tunnel, which would be the third the company has built since it was founded in 2016. 

“They’re just looking at concepts, there’s nothing concrete,” Cameron County Administrator Pete Sepulveda, Jr., who oversees all major transportation projects in the county, said.

“I believe the county is non committal. If there’s a way to provide access to the beach and it’s good for the public then the county is going to support that.” 

The post Isla Blanca-To-Boca Chica Tunnel proposed by Musk’s Boring company appeared first on Go Gulf States.

“Fishing for Photographs,” published on Feb. 18, is Wise’s most recent self publication. His last two books, “Danno Wise’s Tips for Fishing the Texas Coast,” and “Coastal Fly Fishing Quick Start Guide,” were self-published in 2012. “Fishing for Photographs,” however, is a photography book, in what Wise calls an attempt to see South Texas fishing in a new way.

Wise, who has been writing for state and national outdoor magazines and newspapers since 1995, said publications wanted both written and photographic content from him as years went on. Wise started taking photographs to accompany his articles, but found the “grip and grin” style of fishing photos boring. 

Around five years ago, Wise began taking photographs of catches in an unconventional way. 

Read More at Port Isabel South Padre Press

The post Danno Wise’s “Fishing for Photographs” Offers a Unique Lens to South Texas Angling appeared first on Go Gulf States.

With Senator Ralph Yarborough, D-Texas, sponsoring the bill in the Senate, and Representative Joe Kilgore and John Young, both Texas Democrats guiding the bill through the house, the bill successfully makes it to the president’s desk. 

President John F. Kennedy signed into law the bill that created the South Padre Island National Seashore on September 28, 1962. 

Read More at Port Isabel-South Padre Press

The post South Padre Island’s Journey to National Seashore appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Check out the Full, Expandable Map

The City of South Padre Island recently set forth initiatives to rebuild, sustain and grow key sand castle exhibits on the Island, which includes the Sandcastle Trail. Lucinda “Sandyfeet” Wierenga and her team are currently working on touching up the existing sand sculptures. Some sculptures need to be completely rebuilt, like the Semper Fi sculpture outside Island Services, whereas others are in need of more minor touch-ups, like the sculpture outside of the SPI Birding & Nature Center.

To stay up-to-date and learn about the featured sculpture artists
Read more at SoPadre.com

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