What does "the old" mean and refer to in this writing?

Could you explain what "the old" in the last sentence is referring to or what "the old" means exactly in the writing?
You can see the whole writing in this link : http://www.losangelesdigital.com/stories/verand...

I first heard about Veranda Beach on my grandparents' porch the summer I was 13. It was a lazy New England night that left the hills a smoky blue and the air heavy with the smell of rain. The last shadows were melting into dusk as conversation turned to the summer ahead.
"Any plans?" my grandfather asked. My father tipped his chair back and blew smoke rings into the air from his pipe.
"Just Veranda Beach," he answered with delight. They all chuckled.
My heart pounded. Veranda Beach? Where was it? When would we go?
"Why you're there already," my father teased. There was a gentle chorus of laughter as they told me the awful truth. Veranda Beach was the front porch. We were going nowhere. My adolescent spirits plunged. What did they see in that boring porch?
Well, summer passed, and with age came wisdom. I realized the front porch was no enemy to adventure. It was a window on the world and a lesson in how that world works. What's more, the love affair continues to this day-with new lessons adding to the old.