There are decking stains. Cabot's calls theirs 'made to be walked on,' because there are different properties on these things. Regular stains will wear off as people walk on them. In terms of looks, the clear wood products will give you the natural beauty of the wood. If a strong stain seems too much, there is one more option.
Toners are somewhere in between stain and clear, call it clear with a tinge.
Marc offered one last bit of advice. When you clean the wood, if you see pieces that are cracked or otherwise damaged, that's a sign to replace those sections of board, but that may be beyond the average weekend warrior. Then it's time for the professionals. After you've done your deck, Marc and I would be glad to come by and inspect it. Just send your address and beer list to this newspaper, and we'll be glad to certify your deck ready for this summer and next.