Surrounded by flowers and lush greenery at her father’s nursery in Glendale, CA, Playmate Allison Parks says this is where she learned a valuable lesson in family and work ethic and it’s where she blossomed into the beautiful woman she is today. “I have two brothers and a sister—one brother and my sister are twins. We are just a typical small-town family. My parents have been married more than 25 years,” says the blue-eyed blonde. “I work in a landscape and design nursery, and I'm a part-time swimming instructor. I almost feel guilty about charging their parents for lessons since I get just as much of a kick out of spending all that time in the water as the kids do. But, I know what I'm doing is worthwhile, because any child who can overcome his fear of the water before he's six will never panic in a sink-or-swim situation later on in life.” With family by her side, a lucrative job and a desire for adventure, the all-natural California girl with the busty body grabbed hold of the opportunity of a lifetime—becoming our Playmate of the Month. “When I was asked if I’d like to be a Playmate, I figured someone had made a mistake,” says our humble Miss October 1965. “I love being a Playmate because what could be more exciting than being a Playmate?” Her sweet nature, wholesome smile and lovely tan lines were the talk of the town and Playboy readers couldn’t get enough of the mile-high blonde from the West Coast. “I am learning to fly light planes—that's my current love! I used to grow orchids but I find flying more exciting. Until I started flying, my big dream was to own a hot sports car someday,” says the sexy soon-to-be pilot. “Now, I couldn't care less about cars—except as the quickest means of getting to and from the airstrip. The moment I took over the controls for the first time, I was hooked. There's something almost ethereal about sitting in a cockpit thousands of feet above the earth with nothing around to distract you.” Her goal of being private pilot is in her reach now that she’s accumulated enough flying hours, but as for her dream of owning a sports car, she’s gotten a lot closer to that since she was chosen to be our Playmate of the Year. “When Playboy called me and went through the list of prizes I won, all I could say was ‘pinch me, I must be dreaming,’” says our Miss 1966. Along with a Dodge Charger in Playmate pink, a Yamaha Newport 50 motorcycle, a ten-speed Varsity Schwinn bicycle, a case of pink champagne from Paul Masson and more, Allison is now the lucky recipient of thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes. “I feel like I’ve just done a perfect outside loop—with no hands!” exclaims our Miss 1966, her blue eyes wide with excitement. There is no better way to close a year filled with fabulous ladies than to have Allison Parks represent the bevy of 12 beautiful Playmates.