Quebec/Montreal vacation recommendation requested

My husband, son, mother-in-law and I go away for a week each summer,
and we are looking for a new place for this year's trip. We are
considering the Quebec City or Montreal area. I'm hoping if I briefly
outline our criteria, some of you could make a recommendation or two.

Our son will be approximately 18 months this year, so a house makes
more sense than a hotel. We prefer homes to condos for reasons of
space and privacy, which I find often dictates the sorts of
neighborhoods that are appropriate for our choices. Generally, we
want a nice home in a scenic (even rural) area, but within easy
driving distance (3 hours or less) from a major airport, and within a
short drive of other sights for daytrips. We're escaping Washington
DC heat, so while we like it sunny and warm, hot isn't necessary. We
like a mixture of relaxing around the house and some sightseeing, but
we're definitely into relaxing, reading, etc., so a nice vacation home
(as opposed to a basic motel where we do nothing but sleep) is
desirable; this means we are looking at areas where at least some of
the homes are typically leased out as vacation rentals. As a way to
illustrate what we are looking for: we were thinking of doing
Monterey in California (fly into San Jose, daytrip to San Francisco,
etc), but decided against it because for logistic reasons. Last year
we stayed in East Boothbay, Maine (flew into Boston, daytrips to
Portland and other towns, etc).

Are there areas around either Quebec City or Montreal that would be a
good place to look? I know almost nothing about this part of Canada,
so I don't know where to begin (other than a travel guide, and I
prefer real person recs when possible). Ideally, I would love a
quiet, pretty area in the country, near small towns of interest, close
enough to either city for sightseeing and even dining out if possible.
Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Susan
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