That Old Cape Magic is the title of a Richard Russo book, an author who often sets his novels on Cape Cod. I find the title an apt description of the Cape’s simpler pleasures: walking on the beach, grilling in the backyard, and eating lobster rolls. These activities conjure up a certain enchantment that I fall for every time I visit.

I flew into Boston on a red-eye, landing at 5:45am on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Then I caught the 6:15am P&B bus from Logan Airport to Hyannis and by 8:45am I was eating breakfast with my parents in their kitchen. By 9:15am I passed out and slept for four hours with a cute puppy by my side.

We all went for a beach walk that afternoon near Harwich. The weather was perfect.

Family photos with Bijou the bichon, the sweetest little girl.

That evening we got dinner at one of our favorite spots, Original Seafood in Dennis Port. I ordered the lobster roll.

We walked off our dinner at West Dennis Beach.

That night we played one of our favorite games, Settlers of Catan. I held excellent positions on the board and STILL couldn’t win, and it took us hours to finish. I think we get a splash of amnesia with this game because all of us were frustrated but we can’t wait to play again.

The next morning we played Pandemic, another favorite of ours. We did really well but have yet to graduate to the next level of using five epidemic cards (we find that four is challenging enough). We love this game.

My favorite Cape Cod breakfast is cereal topped with tons of fresh berries. Props to my mom for always having berries on hand. And a superb selection of coffee to go with it.

That evening my parents grilled salmon for dinner. Cedar plank salmon is their specialty — my mom had mastered a whole bunch of glazes and marinades, and my dad grills it to perfection.

This one has a garlic butter sauce drizzled over it, topped with fresh lemon and herbs.

The final product:

Mom picked up angel food cake for dessert, with whipped cream and berries. Simple and delicious.

I originally did not anticipate making it back east in time for Memorial Day, so this was a gift of a weekend. What a way to return to the east coast.