I try to avoid the border at all costs. Customs has a long standing dislike for me, and I always thought I was a nice guy ha ha. You do need a passport to fly across, but up here you can get something called an enhanced driver's license. It will get you across a land crossing into the USA. I don't know if there is an American equivalent to that, but if there isn't then I don't think you will be driving across without a passport.
