Word or phrase describes looking around trying to gain information from surroundings

I'm looking for either a word or phrase which describes the situation of being in a strange place and feeling disoriented, and you're just looking around for basic clues as to where you are, or what's there, or what kind of place it is.

Example sentence:

Fred walked around the benches, still looking around left and right, trying to absorb what he could from the surrounding buildings and other street furniture.

One may scan the environment.

Definition: to look at (something) carefully, usually in order to find someone or something; to minutely examine the particulars or points of ; scrutinize.

scanning the vicinity
getting one's bearings

"Getting the lay of the land", which is not usually applied to an actual physical location or territory, but rather to a social, situational, or circumstantial change of scene. Metaphorically the person getting is doing the work of a pioneer or surveyor.