I'm a Californian who visited the Hamptons for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me about the fancy New York beach destination.

• It was my first time in the area and I traveled from Los Angeles.

• I didn't need a car or taxi because of the Jitney.

• I would pay more for gas and food in Los Angeles.

I went to the Hamptons for three days in August.

I've always wondered what it would be like to go to the east coast.

The premiere of the second season of The CW's "Gossip Girl" made me want to go to the East Coast.

I was familiar with high-end beach destinations in the US, like Cape Code and Malibu, but I had never been to the eastern part of the country.

I traveled from Los Angeles to Montauk in August. The summer destination favored by celebrities and the East Coast elites was the most surprising thing about my first visit.

Different towns, villages, and hamlets make up the Hamptons.

I didn't know much about Long Island geography before I left.

I found out that the region of the South Fork of Long Island known as the Hamptons is made up of two towns: EastHampton andSouthampton.

There are a number of hamlets and villages in the area.

Sag Harbor is one of the villages and hamlets in EastHampton.

The Jitney was an easy way to travel from NYC to LI.

The start of my trip was on the bus that took me from the airport to the end of the line.

The Jitney arrived at a certain time. I was worried that I missed it, but the delay was due to New York weekday traffic.

Since the first Jitney pulled up to the stop, I was confused as to which line to take. The woman who was in charge of the bus operations was very helpful.

The Jitney was full even though a Monday through Wednesday in late August wasn't the best time for a visit to the East End.

I sat in a nice seat for three hours in the air conditioned coach. There was a bus with wi-fi.

Each way I pay 40 dollars for my ticket. I saved a few dollars by purchasing it online and making sure I had a reserved spot. If passengers head on a more impromptu trip, they can purchase tickets on the bus.

I've never experienced humidity like it in Montauk.

The first thing that struck me was the humidity. The relative humidity was higher than I had ever seen.

This was uncomfortable because of the dry heat in California.

I could get around town without a car. I either took the shuttle or walked.

I would have paid more for gas in Los Angeles if I'd been there. I did not have to drive or take a taxi.

I took the Hampton Hopper, a free bus that took me to all the major spots in the area, so I could explore on foot.

The hotels where I stayed were close to each other.

It was easy to get to my first hotel from the bus stop once I got used to the humid weather. Outside of the downtown area, there was a beachfront property.

The Marram Montauk felt like a luxurious, family-friendly surf retreat with a pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and outdoor beach spaces. I would have liked to sit on the balcony and enjoy the ocean air.

The hotel that I stayed at the second night was called Sole East and it was close to the city center.

Sole East was exactly what I thought it would be. There were dark navy blue and red accents that were patriotic.

There was a garden and a lawn in the hotel's backyard. Sole East was like a place with strong traditions where travelers would come back to again and again.

A mother told her toddler that they were going to stay in the same room when they were young.

It felt like the whole town was on vacation.

There was a steady stream of people in and out of Left Hand Coffee.

I had to get some remote work done so I was a bit frustrated that there was no place to sit down. Nobody else seemed to care.

The first time I was in the area I felt like I was in vacation mode, as everyone I met seemed to be very friendly and laid back.

There was a strong sense of community and pride in the town.

The quaint downtown area has cute boutiques, parks, and town square area where there are occasionally outdoor concerts.

There are a lot of historical and cultural heritage sites around town.

I went to the visitor's center to get a lay of the land from locals who knew where to eat, sightsee, and explore. I learned that local art is important to the community when I saw the "MTK" letters painted by a local artist.

The food costs were the same as they were in Los Angeles.

On my first day, I went to the town grocery store to get a salad for dinner. Since I was coming from Los Angeles, one of the US' most expensive cities, I didn't notice that the food was expensive.

On the next day, I took the shuttle to the restaurant called Gosman's dock. I paid $50 for 18 pieces of sushi, but it was a great dinner.

I overheard other visitors talking about how excited they were to visit the cafe.

Before I left Jitney for the airport on Wednesday, I ordered a drink from Bird on the Roof and a muffin.

It's so easy to get to the Jitney in the Hamptons.

It was amazing to live out my summer dreams.

There was a friendly rivalry between the hamlets and villages. I'll have to look at them again.

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