Traffic jams in the country- arrival time considerations

It's not New York, Chicago, or LA, but believe it or not, you may have to contend with some heavy traffic in the wee state of New Hampshire. On Fridays and Saturdays, scores of Massachusetts drivers cruise up to visit NH's beautiful lakes. In particular, they're heading up to Lake Winnipesaukee, a gigantic body of water in the middle of the state. On their way, the MA motorists travel through the cities of Manchester, Concord and Laconia, essentially the route you'll be driving if you plan on flying into Manchester or Boston.

How to avoid this apparent disaster? As we understand it, there are four solutions:
(1). Fly into Portland (ME). There's little to no traffic on the highway between Portland and Chocorua; plus, you can say you've been to Maine.
(2). If you're flying to Manchester or Boston, fly in on a Thursday, or even earlier. We'll be arriving in Chocorua on Thursday morning, so join the party. And if you're looking to make a vacation out of the trip, come even earlier and visit the White Mountains, or the Maine coast.
(3). Fly in on Thursday night, stay at a hotel near the airport, then leave EARLY Friday morning for Chocorua.
(4). Deal with it. If you don't mind traffic, take a chance... who knows, if gas prices go higher, maybe you'll have the highways to yourself.

One last note on arrival times. If you plan on driving up to Chocorua, Tamworth, or North Conway at night, be forewarned that it's very dark. Since this is the country, don't expect street lights and it's always wise to beware of Bambi crossing the road.