Fieldwork Assignment 3
For this assignment, I chose to observe Montebello Lake, which is right down the street from Morgan. The area attracted me because I find areas like this relaxing and beautiful to look at. As soon as I parked my car near the curb, I could immediately tell that this was a popular spot for runners and bikers as they walked around the lake trail. The trail is actually divided though, with walkers/runners on one side and bikers on the other side going in an opposite direction. I believe that this was done in order to bring order and prevent casualties. Obviously, bikers would be traveling at a different speed than those on foot, so this allows bikers to casually ride at their own pace instead of slowing down to pass those who are on foot. Along the trail, I also noticed two strength training stations that had different workout equipment such as elliptical, pull up bars, and push up benches. I believe these were installed with the knowledge that people might like to do more than just cardio workouts at a time. Even more that workout equipment, there was also a playground near the area as well for parents to bring their children for fun. It is interesting to note that the people going around the lake varied in ethnicity and age. Also, not everybody was going around, some people were relaxing in the grass or sitting their chairs with their friends. One thing I never noticed before was certain markings and symbols on the ground. For instance, there was a “start” sign on the ground as well as “ROTC” and “5K” markings. This could mean that this area is a popular training spot for runners to increase their speed and endurance. I was expecting to find a water fountain or a vending machine somewhere in the area, since people are most likely getting a workout in. Also, I remember there always being geese chilling in the water whenever I came around, but they were absent the two days that I showed up to observe. I decided to visit the lake on Friday evening and Sunday evening and I found that it was more populated on Sunday than on Friday. This could be due to the fact that people thought it felt nicer on Sunday or perhaps they simply had more free time on Sunday.










