“One hundred years ago, on Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, and American women had won the right to vote. In Washington, institutions like the Library of Congress, the National Museum of American History and the National Archives Museum have long-running exhibitions either under way or planned to commemorate the milestone and those whom it left out. (Admission to all three is free, as it is to most of the city’s museums and monuments.) In an election year of perhaps unprecedented political angst, some might find visiting the nation’s capital fraught. But in recent years Washington has watched its already-rich culture and dining scene blossom, offering a vast menu of fresh sights and tastes. Away from the halls of government, Washington presents a diverse identity as a majority-minority city and a cosmopolitan crossroads where American society blends with international influences. The U Street area, sometimes referred to as Black Broadway, is packed with historic theaters and concert halls where jazz flourished and go-go music was pioneered. Beyond a small but growing set of pricier Michelin-starred restaurants, Washington has also seen a younger, forward-thinking crop of restaurants emerge, with Ethiopian and Laotian food well represented. Even as a modern, homegrown and ever-changing culture percolates below the surface, though, Washington holds to its historical ideal of a city built on a common heritage — a place for all Americans to reflect on a shared identity, even in a contentious election year.

—ZACH MONTAGUE

Hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the British Virgin Islands have been slow to recover. But this year, a number of resorts will reopen, includingRosewood Little Dix Bay, the iconic resort originally developed by the conservation-minded Laurance Rockefeller in 1964, which was under renovation when the storms hit; it reopened this month. On Norman Island, planned developments for 2020 include three hotels, a marina and an observatory. Offshore, the ship William Thornton, which once housed the floating bar known as Willy T, was damaged and is now part of an artificial reef, but a new vessel has replaced it. Many properties have a new environmental focus. Necker Island, the private island owned by Richard Branson, will finish rebuilding by April, and introduce uniforms made from recycled plastic found in the ocean; in 2019, the resort installed wind turbines that have enabled it to run on up to 90 percent renewable energy. In summer 2020, the Bitter End Yacht Club will open a new marina using recycled materials and a market to provision boat crews; accommodations are scheduled to follow in the fall. Cooper Island Beach Club on Cooper Island, a 15-minute water taxi ride from Tortola, plans to offer packages combining island stays with emissions-free sailing trips aboard a new electric-powered yacht from Voyage Charters.

—ELAINE GLUSAC