Hello:

I have a couple of special occasions coming up this weekend, for my wife. Our Anniversary (4 years), her birthday, her graduation... I want to make it a special for her...

We live in Boston. We have decided to go to Quebec city/ Montreal over the Memorial Day Weekend. We are driving all the way. I am not sure if we have enough time to cover both cities. I would not mind exploring just one city.

We start Friday (May 23, 2014) and be back Monday (May 27, 2014).

I want to make the next few days special for my wife. Any help on places to visit/ things to do will be appreciated.

a. Suggested itinerary
b. Good beaches to visit?
c. Restaurants/ best places to eat. we are "vegetarians" (no meat/ no seafood) since so many years.
d. We would like to do some biking together; may be tandem bikes. Never tried it, but, I am sure she will love that.
e. Best night clubs around to visit

Any help is appreciated.

Google Maps will help. It shows Boston to Quebec City as roughly 400 miles requiring at least seven hours driving. Quebec-Montreal is 155 miles; Montreal-Boston 300 miles and five hours. Those time estimates are optimistic since both Montreal and Quebec are prone to traffic snarls. Is that much driving romantic?
I'd prefer three nights in either Quebec City or Montreal, enough time to scratch the surface of these fascinating cities. But Franco-Quebecoise cuisine is my romance and that means meat.
There are menus for vegitarians but finding them will require research. www.restomontreal.ca and its associated Quebec wing is one of several search sources; it shows 15 vegitarian restos in QC and 107 in Montreal.
An hour from downtown Montreal, the village of Oka boasts a provincial park (ie "national" park to Quebecois) with an enormous sand beach. Canoes and kayaks are rented. http://www.sepaq.com/pq/oka/index.dot?language_id=1

i would choose one or the other, too much driving for both in one weekend. For dining, nightlife, bicycling and shopping, Montreal wins, and it's much closer. In Montreal, you could spend your afternoons walking or bicyling the many interesting neighborhoods, stopping at an outdoor cafe for lunch. You could visit the beautiful Notre Dame basilica in Old Montreal, take a boat ride at the Old Port, visit the Biodome at the Olympic Park, stroll thru the vast botanical gardens, window shop and explore the funky interesting shops in the Plateau neighborhood, spend a morning at the vast Jean Talon market. In the evening, buy a bottle of wine and peruse the dozens of byob restaurants on the Plateau. Many have outdoor tables and many offer vegetarian options. Another good vegetarian option (especailly for lunch) is Le Commensal. This is a large, upscale vegetarian cafeteria, with many interesting foods from around the world. There is a Le commensal downtown, and one on St. Denis. There are lots of dance clubs and a few jazz clubs throughout the city. Most are on the Plateau, or on Crescent St. downtown.
Montreal is possibly the best city in North America for bicycling with safe trails that go along the St Lawrence, along the Lachine Canal, thru the parks, and all through the city. Bikes can easily be rented.
Neither Montreal nor Quebec City have any beaches, and Memorial Day is too early for beach weather this far north.

Thank you so much for your replies. Any suggestions for things to do on this rainy Friday/ Saturday?

The weather doesn't look too bad, a few showers. Lots to do:
Fine Arts Museum
Jean Talon & Atwater markets (a foodies paradise)
Notre Dame
Underground mega malls downtown
Biodome
Biosphere
Redpath Museum
History Museum
IF you can still get tickets,the Cirque du Soleil Kurios is in town, in a big top tent in the Old Port. We just saw it, and it is really amazing.
Try and pickup a copy of the free Montreal Visitors Guide - very informative - lots of walking and biking maps, churches and museums, interesting neighborhoods,etc.

I... I... I... definitely like the idea of sticking to one of the cities, and when matching <I>romance</i> <b>with driving and sightseeing</b>, I think Q.C. is a better destination because you can do it reasonable justice in 3-ish days.

There are lots of charming areas, and you're much more immersed in the French language and culture than in Montreal. The uniqueness and views from the old, walled city, would add a nice touch, and other, old parts of down down near the main part of the city are rather splendid to look around as well.

So I would travel the extra miles... mostly in splendid countryside, and opt for Quebec City... saving Montreal for when you have enough TIME to do it justice.

For a day trip, drive through the local townships along the St. Lawrence east or west, before returning to Q.C.