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Life on the internet can be stressful. By the time you've perfectly calibrated your latest tweet, caught up on the hottest new web trends, and cooked up the most delicious snark for that blog post comment, exhaustion will have certainly set in. The interwebs is a wonderful place, but sometimes you need simple, genuine beauty to offset all the irony and quirk.

Don't worry, Urlesque is here for you. To soothe your 21st century blues away, allow me to present the natural grandeur and awesome pulchritude of America's National Parks.

First up, enjoy the stunning nature photography of Ian Shive. Ian is a popular nature photographer who has done extensive work in conservation. His photo book 'The National Parks: Our American Landscape' was a recent success, having been featured both in the New Yorker and on NPR.

In case that didn't fully sooth your digital age ennui, take a few moments to soak up the landscapes and fauna of America's first national park, Yellowstone:




From the shocking power of the geysers to the majesty of the buffalo to the loveliness that persists throughout all four seasons, Yellowstone is truly a national treasure. However, some of the lesser known national parks are easily its equal. A quick look at the lush forests of Redwood National Park should sooth away the last of your worries.

Of course, this is only a taste of what America's landscapes have to offer. If you're interested in learning more about the National Park System (and have plenty of time on your hands) then check out this extended preview of the new Ken Burns documentary 'The National Parks: America's Best Idea':