Book excerpt: Exploring the Hudson Valley's 100 Great Places...Just North of New York City offers a plethora of historic and scenic locations for New York and New Jersey residents to visit. The 350-page topical guide is a comprehensive book for those visiting the Hudson Valley region. The book offers up-to-date descriptions, hundreds of websites for additional information, and more than 90 illustrations by Patricia Smith. New York State Senator William J. Larkin Jr. recently stated, The beauty and history of the Hudson Valley is vividly brought to life in Steffen Kraehmer's book Exploring the Hudson Valley's 100 Great Places. He highlights the area's best sites to visit, including one dear to my heart - The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor. This book is destined to become the premier visitor's guide for the Hudson Valley.