Going to re-stain deck, but???

Live in Minneapolis, MN and are going to re-stain the horizontal boards on my deck. I just got done this weekend sanding it. Rented sander and used 60 grit on first pass, and 80 grit to finish it up. Boards look clean (I will try to post picture tonight when get home) but have many cracks, and splits in pressure treated wood. I looked at the reviews of stains on here, but the best ones (TWP, Defy, Armstrong) I can not buy local. Is there a great stain that one can buy in the big stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Menards...)? I can get Penofin, or Messmers local, but they did not seems to be rated as great.

Is sanding the deck good enough, or should I also use a brightener?

Thanks
Rob