A few years ago someone in one of the guilds to which I belong made a list of the quilt stores within a hundred mile radius of the Sherman/Denison, Texas area. There were more than 50. There is a quilt guild in Sherman, one in Gainesville, about 30 miles distant on a good highway, one in Van Alstyne, 15 miles distant on a highway that is vying for Interstate status, one in Durant, OK, about 30 miles distant and several members of the Sherman guild go to the Dallas quilt guild, about 60 miles distant on a major highway.
The Dallas guild puts on a big show every spring, usually displaying at least 300 quilts. Dozens of vendors from all over the country show up for it. The weather in winter can be cold and last winter we were surprised by an ice storm that shut us down for several days. That is very unusual, however. Lots of people who are here from your part of the country think we are sissies for wearing coats in the winter. There are two large hospitals in Sherman/Denison and access to medical specialists. I don't now how much transient housing is available, but it would be worth looking into.
You might also want to explore the area around Fredericksburg. It's in Central Texas and it's not as cold in the winter, but is hot in the summer. froggyintexas