I also live in the middle of nowhere. I have 1 quilt shop, 1 JoAnns and 1 Hobby Lobby. It is very rare that they have just what I am looking for.
Here are my favorite online shops:
Quilt Fabric Closeouts
Whittles
Fabric.com
Connecting Threads
Then there are times when I just need to do a search for the type of fabric I am looking for such as batik, civil war, 1930's, etc. I look for the best selection and best price and best shipping price. I think all the online shops have the local stores beat.....unless you live in a big city.