Southern Morocco can easily be reached after leaving Fez. Make sure to explore the the ksours (Arabic for castle) and kasbahs of Rissani which were really interesting. These are mud and straw structures dating back for centuries. You see date trees, men riding donkeys, women dressed in the traditional black djellabe. People are still living in these structures which look right out of biblical times.
For the shopper, there are a handful of great rug stores in town as well.
Rissani is a great stop on the way to the desert and Merzouga.