Fodor's Expert Review Mokuaikaua Church

Site of the first Christian church in the Hawaiian Islands, this solid lava-rock structure, completed in 1837, is mortared with burned lime, coral, and kukui (candlenut) oil and topped by an impressive 112-foot steeple. The ceiling and interior were crafted of timbers harvested from a forest on Hualalai and are held together with wooden pegs, not nails. Inside, behind a panel of gleaming koa wood, rests a model of the brig Thaddeus as well as a koa-wood table crafted by Henry Boshard, pastor for 43 years. The sanctuary is still undergoing renovations, but if you attend Sunday services, they are glad to give you a tour.