I'm getting ready to renew my US passport for the first time. Since I got this passport the ID requirements at the US-Canada border have gotten stricter, so I've been using my passport when driving across that border.
I have no current international travel plans within the renewal window, but I have relatives in Canada and one never knows when a family emergency might occur, especially with older relatives. Renewing the passport requires temporarily surrendering the current (still-valid) one. A little Googling tells me that I wouldn't be able to cross this border (in both directions) with an expired passport at all, so waiting doesn't help.
How do I retain my ability to drive to Canada and back home while my passport renewal is being processed? I don't have an "enhanced" driver's license (whatever that is). I do have a copy of my birth certificate. My only citizenship is US.