Baja California Peninsula

Bob Gordon of Orange, driving a Porsche, won the SCORE Baja International off-road race Sunday, his third victory in five races this year. Gordon averaged 55.34 m.p.h. as he completed the 461.7-mile circuit through the northern Baja California peninsula in 8 hours 20 minutes 33.3 seconds. Only two motorcycle teams finished the race faster than Gordon's car. Dan Ashcraft of Huntington Beach and Randy Morales of Burbank won the motorcycle division on a Honda in 8:08:15.1, averaging 56.74 m.p.h.

Hurricane Norbert swept across Mexico's southern Baja California peninsula on Saturday, tearing off roofs and forcing hundreds of people to flee flooded homes. It hit land near Puerto Charley on Baja's southwest coast as a Category 2 hurricane, but weakened to Category 1 after emerging over the Gulf of California, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Norbert was expected to reach mainland Mexico before dawn today.

Faced with angry opposition from both sides of the border, Mexican officials Thursday night announced the suspension of a controversial program to charge drivers of U.S.-registered cars up to $800 to cross the border into Mexico. On orders from President Ernesto Zedillo, the program--which went into effect Wednesday--is suspended "until further notice," the Interior Ministry said in a news release.

Howling winds and roaring waves from Hurricane Juliette bore down on tourist resorts at the tip of the Baja California peninsula Thursday, knocking out power and smashing docks to driftwood. The winds blew the roofs off shacks in poor neighborhoods, and sparks cascaded from shorted-out power transformers. Fifteen-foot waves destroyed docks. As the storm approached Wednesday, William Creson, 45, of Denver drowned in 10-foot waves. The U.S.

An accident of nature and an industrious population account for Chile's meteoric rise to chief supplier of winter fruit to North America, according to importers that supply the U.S. market. A quick look at a globe explains why. Geographically, Chile and California are mirror images. And when the growing season comes to the farther reaches of the Southern Hemisphere, California's vineyards and orchards are largely dormant. In other words, when it's summer in Santiago, it's winter in California.

Hundreds of families fled their homes and heavy rain caused flooding along the main streets of this resort city Saturday, as Hurricane Otis skirted the coast of western Mexico. The Category 1 hurricane weakened a bit, but still packed 85 mph winds as it crawled north, about 140 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Rain and strong wind lashed the area.

Hurricane Kiko pounded the Baja California peninsula early Sunday, wrecking about 20 homes and forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate before weakening to a tropical storm, officials said. The storm struck the tip of the peninsula at midnight Saturday with 115-m.p.h. winds and heavy rains. However, it began weakening as it hit coastal cliffs and moved over the mountainous terrain.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. apparently may not have a place in paradise. The world's largest retailer won preliminary approval this week to build a store in Cabo San Lucas after a nearly two-year battle. But opponents vow to continue fighting the project with demonstrations or by blocking roads.