The June heat dome was a deal breaker in Myrtle Beach when it came to daytime outdoor activities, except for our short stroll to Pier 14 and the beach below. A visit to a place like Brookgreen Gardens, which is actually south of town not far from the coast at Murrells Inlet, wasn’t going to happen during the onslaught of the daytime sun.

But I found out that on some days in the summer, part of Brookgreen is open well into the evening, offering cooler temps – and still sauna-like humidity – with light displays. That was doable, and so we went on the Saturday evening we were in town.

The grand Spanish moss promenade by day.

Lights up after dark.

The garden calls it Summer Light: Art by Night.

Other botanic gardens have similar light shows, such as one every year by the Chicago Botanic Garden that we’ve been to a few times. But that’s in winter. Summer’s just as good a time, better in some ways, with no worries about blizzards or subzero temps, even if the nighttime is shorter.

These glowing jellies were in the Children’s Garden.

Too good just for kiddie-winkies, if you asked me.