Hello all. I need to take my son to colleges in the places listed above. I don't know the area very well - able to navigate but don't know the real ins and outs of traffic or how to best manage a busy appointment schedule with respect to where to stay. Can any of you Angelenos help me decide how to construct this three night trip in order to mimimize drive time and hassle? Should we stay somewhere in the middle all three nights or plan to spend the night in two/three different places? We can come any day of the week, as long as we're there for two weekdays.

I hope this makes sense. Things weren't like this when I applied to college and not much daunts me, but this process is insane!!